Africa is gradually pulling apart along a colossal geological fault. The process spans millions of years, and over time a segment of East Africa may detach from the rest of the continent. The outcome could be the emergence of a new sea between two evolving landmasses.
The fault system ranks among the planet’s most expansive rifts, stretching across Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique. What is visible on the surface is a split of the African plate into two subplates: the smaller Somali plate and the larger Nubian plate. A 2004 study suggests these plates drift apart at a rate measured in mere centimeters each year.
The consequence of this ongoing separation could resemble a vast, elongated island rising from the sea as the Horn of Africa becomes increasingly distinct from the mainland.
A dramatic crack appeared in 2018
On March 18, 2018, residents of a small town in southeastern Kenya witnessed a startling event. The ground opened beneath them, creating a long, deep fissure several kilometers in length and about twenty meters in depth. The event left people astonished, as such a crack had not been seen before in living memory.
This crack is linked to the East African Rift and provides a rare live glimpse into the ongoing evolution of the fault. Geologist Lucía Pérez Díaz of Royal Holloway College, Dynamic Fault Research Group, notes that the activity along the eastern branch of the Rift Valley, running through Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, began when a large fracture suddenly opened in southwestern Kenya. [Pérez Díaz, Royal Holloway College]
According to Pérez Díaz, this particular cleavage is unique on the planet because it offers observers an unprecedented chance to witness different stages of fracturing in real time. The most significant phase began roughly 30 million years ago in the Afar region of northern Ethiopia and has since progressed southward toward Zimbabwe, continuing at a rate of about 2.5 to 5 centimeters per year.
Currently, in the Afar region, the lithosphere—the Earth’s solid outer shell—has been pushed toward a breaking point. Pérez Díaz explains that when the crust splits, a new ocean will start to form. Within tens of millions of years, the seabed will migrate along the entire fault, gradually shaping a new geographical reality for the region. The African continent is expected to shrink as the horn of Africa becomes more isolated, potentially turning portions of Ethiopia and Somalia into a large island in the Indian Ocean. [Pérez Díaz, Royal Holloway College]
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Note: This summary reflects observed geological activity and expert interpretation. The information is provided for educational purposes and reflects ongoing scientific research in plate tectonics and fault dynamics.
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