Why is Africa separating? Science answers!

Africa is considered the cradle of humanity, a region formed after continental movements that occurred over billions of years of Earth history. According to the Geological Society of London, The continent is splitting into two parts due to a giant crack that is slowly destroying some areas of the Earth’s surface in this region.

A massive crack stretching for several kilometers appeared in southwestern Kenya and continued to grow until it destroyed part of a nearby highway, according to geologists who have studied the area.

Initially, researchers believed that the crack was associated with the activity of tectonic plates in East Africa, but they realized that it was actually a mountain pass undergoing a natural erosion process. However, they are investigating whether the two processes are connected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9sn_hojhus

Despite this, scientists are still unsure how the specific formation of the Rift began. After all, the world is constantly changing, and not all of these transformations are observed by science.

Another possibility is crack Erosion of soft soil occurs due to a type of soil with low resistance, which can be easily deformed.

“Now the cleft [aumenta de uma forma] Very slow, about the growth rate of toenails,” said Ken MacDonald, Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, in a message posted to the Live Science website.

Was Africa divided in two?

In a text published on the website SpeechPostdoctoral researcher at Royal Holloway University in London Lucía Pérez Díaz explains that the upper part of the Earth’s mantle is divided into different tectonic plates that, as they move, can create a rift similar to the one observed in Africa.

This is exactly the process It occurs in the Great Rift Valley system in East Africa. Continental ‘dividing’ rift consists of two large rifts. The eastern rift runs through Ethiopia and Kenya, while the western rift runs between Uganda and Malawi.

Although some scientists believe that the East African rift was caused solely by the movement of tectonic plates, there are experts who suggest that the phenomenon may have been caused by an increase in temperature, which led to the expansion of continental rocks and, as a result, volcanic activity.

This rift stretches for more than 3,500 kilometers between the Red Sea and Mozambique. With possible rupture, this rift could create a new ocean.

According to observations cited by NASA’s Earth Observatory, the crack may be associated with the separation of the Somali tectonic plate, which is also separating from the plate located north of the Arabian Peninsula.

In fact, it is important to emphasize that the Rift has not appeared on the continent in recent years; In fact, it is much older than human society itself.

In Message to the Website Live ScienceChair of the Department of Geology at Tulane University and Scientific Advisor to Cynthia Ebinger, U.S. Department of State, The original formation of the crack occurred approximately 35 million years ago. Shortly thereafter, about 25 million years ago, the rift widened and reached northern Kenya.

When will Africa be divided?

Ebinger explains that both the East African rift and other natural phenomena such as earthquake zones and volcanoes He points out that Africa is splitting at a rate of about 6.35 millimeters per year.

“What we don’t know is whether this rift will continue to open an ocean basin, like the Red Sea, and then open into something much larger, like a smaller version of the Atlantic Ocean. Or could it accelerate? And get there faster?” MacDonald adds.

In short, although Africa will indeed be divided in half, complete division will not occur very quickly or easily. In any case, the current generation will no longer be alive when this happens.

Did you like the content? So, stay updated with more topics on Earth Sciences at Tecmundo. Take the opportunity to watch an animation showing the ‘dance’ of the Earth’s tectonic plates over 1.8 billion years. Until next time!