The East African Rift, a massive rift, is gradually opening into the second largest continent, Africa. This depression, which extends for about 3,500 km from the Red Sea to Mozambique, is an intricate network of valleys, according to London Geological Society.
The separation of Africa is the result of the interaction of tectonic plates, which can move and generate tensions in the Earth’s crust.
According to the NASA Earth Observatory, along the East African Rift, the Somali tectonic plate is moving eastward relative to the Nubian tectonic plate. This massive rupture in East Africa is the result of this interaction between the plates.
The Somali Plate is oriented eastward relative to the oldest and largest part of the continent, the Nubian Plate, which is sometimes called the Africa Plate. This tectonic movement plays an important role in the formation of the East African Rift.
The Afar region of Ethiopia is a complex meeting point between the Somali, Nuba and Arabian tectonic plates.
In this region, these plates are pulling apart from each other, creating a Y-shaped fault system, as noted by the Geological Society of London.
Is Africa falling apart?
According to Cynthia Ebinger, chair of the Department of Geology at Tulane University and science advisor for the US Department of State, the East African Rift began to form about 35 million years ago.
Initially, it occurred between the region of Arabia and the Horn of Africa, in the eastern part of the continent.
Over time, this rift extended south, reaching northern Kenya about 25 million years ago. This southern advance is evidence of the continuous evolution of the East African Rift over millions of years.
However, it is important to note that the complete partition of Africa is not currently a scientific prediction and there is no set timeline for this to happen. It is a geological process that takes place on very long time scales.
Although Africa is crossed by the East African Rift, indicating ongoing geological separation, the continent is not expected to completely break up. The process of continental division is very slow and takes millions of years.
Cynthia Ebinger explains that the geological forces responsible for the rupture may not have been fast enough to separate the Somali and Nuba plates, noting that a complete split of the African continent in two is unlikely.
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