Africa is Splitting Apart Faster Than Previously Thought: The Process Has Reached a 'Critical Threshold' 0 10

For decades, scientists have warned that something is literally tearing Africa in half, creating a new ocean. However, new data from geologists now indicate that the active rift has reached a 'critical threshold' today, and the continent will soon break apart, forming a new ocean, writes Focus.

Fortunately, 'soon' is a relative term: in reality, the process will take several million years, but in geological terms, this is just a short period of time. According to geophysicist Christian Rowe from Columbia University, he and his colleagues have discovered that rift formation in this area is more advanced and the Earth's crust is thinner than anyone had previously assumed. In simple terms, East Africa has progressed further in the rifting process than previously thought.

According to the scientists, the most intriguing aspect of the discovery is its significance for our own history. The Turkana rift zone in Kenya is rich in fossils of early hominins, indicating that it was a key location for human evolution. The new finding also suggests that this region was likely no more important to our ancestors than any other region of Africa. The scientists believe that these geological processes simply created very favorable conditions for fossilization.

The current arrangement of the Earth's continents may seem permanent, but in reality, they are in constant motion, albeit very slowly. Over 200 million years ago, they were all compressed into one supercontinent, and it is predicted that in the distant future, they will rejoin. According to the scientists, where two tectonic plates meet, mountains are formed. Where they diverge, oceans are born.

The scientists note that the East African Rift System is a striking example of the latter. It is known that the African Plate is currently splitting into two:

• the massive Nubian Plate to the west;
• the smaller Somali Plate, which includes much of the eastern coastline and the island of Madagascar.

In the new study, the scientists focused on a specific part of this system: the Turkana Rift, which stretches for hundreds of kilometers across Kenya and Ethiopia. The team analyzed seismic measurements previously conducted in the region and calculated the thickness of the Earth's crust. The results showed that it is much thinner than expected: only about 13 kilometers at the center of the rift. In comparison, the thickness of the crust along the edges of the rift zone is more than 35 kilometers.

According to the scientists, when the thickness of the crust in the rift zone becomes less than about 15 kilometers, it indicates that it has entered a phase known as 'narrowing.' After reaching this point, continental breakup becomes virtually inevitable. The authors also note that in just a few million years, this phase will end, and the next phase will begin: oceanization. As the name suggests, this is how a new ocean is formed.

In simple terms, the Earth's crust will thin out so much that magma will begin to erupt from beneath it, which will then accumulate and cool, forming a basin. This will become the new seabed as water begins to flow in from the Indian Ocean. This process is already beginning in the Afar Depression, located in northeastern Africa, near the Red Sea.

The results of the new analysis indicate that the Turkana rift formation entered its current narrowing phase about 4 million years ago, following a prolonged period of volcanic activity. Notably, this coincides with the age of the earliest fossil remains of hominins and evidence found in the area.