Saleh wasim
According to scientists, the gradual formation of a new ocean may eventually lead to the division of Africa into two separate land masses. This significant geological transformation, supported by ample data, suggests that the continent will eventually split into two sub-continents, with a new ocean basin emerging between them. However, this process is estimated to unfold over a lengthy period of five to ten million years, primarily due to the gradual widening of fault lines by approximately 7mm annually.
The initial signs of this impending division were observed with the emergence of the East African Rift, a 35-mile-long geological fissure located in Ethiopia’s deserts, in 2005. This geological event was triggered by the eruption of the Dabbahu volcano, situated at the terminus of the East African Rift Valley. The construction of this rift has been fueled by tectonic processes akin to those observed at the ocean’s bottom, as revealed by seismic data documented in the esteemed peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The site of this geological activity lies at the convergence of three tectonic plates—namely, the African Nubian Plate, the African Somali Plate, and the Arabian Plate—which have been gradually moving apart over time. This convergence of tectonic plates is what has led to the formation of the prominent rift, serving as a precursor to the eventual division of the African continent.
