Experts caution that the African continent is splitting at a faster pace than previously estimated.
A fissure spanning 35 miles emerged in Ethiopia’s desert in 2005 and has been steadily expanding at a rate of about half an inch annually.
While earlier estimates suggested that the split would take tens of millions of years, Ken Macdonald, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told DailyMail.com that the separation might occur within one to five million years.
This tectonic shift is expected to eventually create a new ocean and reshape the Earth’s geography.
Macdonald explained, “What might happen is that the waters of the Indian Ocean would come in and flood what is now the East African Rift Valley.” He added that the emerging ocean could potentially rival the Atlantic in depth if water continues to fill the expanding region.
The crack extends across Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, and parts of Ethiopia. Macdonald noted that these areas would form a new landmass, referred to as the “Nubian continent.”
Although the plates are moving at a slow rate, the scale of Africa makes the process remarkable, according to Macdonald.
The phenomenon originates from the East African Rift System, a massive 2,000-mile-long rift formed at least 22 million years ago. This system is where the continent’s Great Lakes are situated and is home to two tectonic plates—the Somali and Nubian plates—that are gradually drifting apart.
The Earth’s lithosphere, which includes the crust and the upper mantle, is divided into numerous tectonic plates. However, the exact mechanisms driving their movement remain unclear.
Some scientists theorize that these movements result from slow, circular motions of semi-molten rock fueled by heat rising from the Earth’s core.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the mechanisms, plate movement is the driving force behind the East African Rift System.
“There’s slippage and faults creating earthquake activity, along with visible signs of active volcanoes,” Macdonald explained.
He also highlighted that recent advancements have allowed scientists to pinpoint the precise branches of the rift system, providing a clearer understanding of this geological process.
