Africa’s landmass is regularly splitting resulting from a tectonic phenomenon. Scientists venture that this may occasionally result in the formation of a brand new ocean in roughly 50 million years. This motion mirrors Earth’s historical geological shifts, such because the fragmentation of Pangea round 230 million years in the past. Fossils like these of Cynognathus, a prehistoric creature present in each Africa and South America, help theories that these continents have been as soon as joined. The East African Rift System (EARS), stretching by way of nations like Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, is on the coronary heart of this continental division.
For the final 25 million years, a gradual break up has been widening inside the African tectonic plate, creating two distinct sections: the Nubian plate to the west and the Somalian plate to the east. Over time, this rift will doubtless enable seawater to circulate in, shaping a brand new ocean between the separating landmasses.
Consultants Weigh in on Geological Modifications
Geologist David Adede highlights that the East African Rift has a wealthy historical past of tectonic and volcanic exercise. Whereas floor motion is proscribed, ongoing shifts deep inside Earth’s crust create areas of weak point that would in the future floor. Researcher Stephen Hicks attributes the formation of a notable crack in Kenya to soil erosion from current rains, suggesting this growth may not be instantly linked to tectonic forces. Lucía Pérez Díaz, nevertheless, acknowledges that the geological exercise may relate to a fault line within the rift, although its exact trigger stays beneath examine.
The Lengthy-Time period Affect on Africa’s Panorama
As Nationwide Geographic suggests, Africa’s future might function a brand new landmass, with the Somali plate drifting away from the Nubian plate, forming a landmass akin to Madagascar. Though this transformation will unfold over tens of millions of years, East Africa’s evolving panorama will proceed to intrigue geologists and form Earth’s geography.
