We all remember from time to time that Earth’s tectonic plates are in constant flux. There was recent news, for example, that the odds of an earthquake occurring in San Andreas between the Pacific and North American plates may have increased. Now, scientists say the new satellite data supports the idea that the African continent is dividing in two thanks to the tectonic movement, and that this division will give rise to a new ocean.
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In a NBC News report, which comes through Futurism, Christopher Moore, a doctoral student at the University of Leeds in the UK, discussed the new satellite data. Moore has specifically been using satellite radar to monitor volcanic activity. At least some of the doctors. The candidate’s investigation is taking place near Ethiopia’s Erta Ale volcano, pictured above.
Moore told NBC News that “[This area of Africa] it is the only place on Earth where you can study how the continental rift becomes an ocean rift. “In other words, the only place on Earth where a continent is separating and leaving the newly formed gap that will eventually be in the bottom of a new ocean.
USGS
In the image above, the spaces between the segmented lines represent the Rift Zone (EAR) of East Africa, where the African continent is dividing. Note that the division of this eastern part of Africa from the rest of the continent is due to the fact that the Africa Plate, a tectonic plate, is in the process of dividing into two new plates. The two new plates were named the Somali Plate (lower right side) and the Nubian Plate (left side).
Ken Macdonald, a marine geophysicist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told NBC News that “with GPS measurements, you can measure movement rates up to a few millimeters per year.” He added that “as we get more and more GPS measurements, we can get a much better idea of what’s going on.”
Thanks to the new satellite data, at least in part, Moore says scientists can now see that the oceanic crust is beginning to form along the EAR zone. (The western branch of which is shown in the representation below.) Moore says he can identify that the newly formed oceanic crust is different from the continental crust because of its differences in composition and density.
“The Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea will be flooded in the Afar region [shaded area in the map] and in the East African Rift Valley and become a new ocean … “Macdonald told NBC News. He added that the newly separated part of Africa” will become its own separate little continent. “Although according to National Geographic, a complete separation is not expected for about 50 million years.
Christoph Hormann
What do you think about this division of the African continent? Do you foresee any way the breakout could happen much earlier than experts predict? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Featured Image: filippo_jean
