Recent research reveals that Africa is splitting apart faster than previously anticipated, with a 35-mile-long fissure in Ethiopia's desert widening at half an inch per year. Ken Macdonald, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, suggests that this geological activity could lead to the formation of a new ocean and continent within one to five million years.
The East African Rift System, a 2,000-mile rift formed over 22 million years ago, is at the heart of this phenomenon. The Somali and Nubian tectonic plates are slowly drifting apart, causing seismic activity and volcanic eruptions in the region. Macdonald noted that while humans may not witness dramatic changes, the geological processes will continue to evolve, potentially flooding the East African Rift Valley with waters from the Indian Ocean.
Recent studies utilizing satellite gravity data and seismic scans have improved understanding of the rift's dynamics. As the plates separate, researchers anticipate that the northern part of the rift will see new oceans forming first, with implications for the future landscape of Eastern Africa.