An international study showed that a new sea is forming in the continent of Africa, and it may divide the continent into two halves, due to the 56-kilometer-long rift that appeared in the Ethiopian deserts.
The study, recently published in the Geophysical Research Letters Journal, collects seismic data from the fault’s formation to show that it is similar to that occurring on the ocean floor, reports Al-Rai daily.
According to the study, it is the same movement that created the Red Sea, but at a much slower rate. Geologists confirmed that a “new ocean” is being created as the African continent is divided into two halves. There was widespread shock and amazement at the prospect and possibility of creating a new ocean in Africa, as reported by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
Edwin Dende, of the Department of Geology at the University of Nairobi’s College of Science and Technology, believes that an ocean could already be forming along the eastern arm of the African Rift Valley.
Dende explained that tectonic plates are in a state of constant flux, with some shifting against each other along fault zones, others falling under each other, and others colliding with each other. This movement led to the formation of the continents we know today, including Africa, South America, North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The continuous movement within the continental crust has seen the formation of the East African Rift Valley, which continues to widen and become more active. While the formation of a new ocean in Africa is likely, Dende warns that it will take millions of years.
The thickness around the Rift Valley has already decreased from 40km to 35km over the past 30 million years, so it will take many more years to get rid of another 5km.
