new scientific study suggests that Africa may be slowly splitting into two continents
A new scientific study suggests that Africa may be slowly splitting into two continents due to deep Earth activity beneath Ethiopia. According to researchers from Swansea University and the University of Southampton, pulses of molten mantle rock are pushing upward beneath the Afar region, causing tectonic plates to drift apart.
Lead researcher Dr Emma Watts explained that the process, while dramatic in potential, is occurring very gradually. “The split will eventually go all the way down Africa,” she said. “It has already begun and is happening now but at a slow rate – 5-16 mm per year – in the north of the rift. Regarding timescales, this process of Africa being torn apart will take several million years before it is completed.”
The study focused on the Afar region, a rare triple junction where the Red Sea Rift, Gulf of Aden Rift, and Main Ethiopian Rift meet. Researchers analyzed more than 130 volcanic rock samples and applied advanced modeling techniques to observe surges in molten rock.
Over millions of years, the rifting is expected to create a new ocean, eventually dividing the continent. The eastern landmass would include Somalia, Kenya, and parts of Ethiopia, while the western portion would contain most of Africa’s existing nations.