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East Africa Might Break Off From the Continent Sooner Than Scientists Thought—and a New Ocean May Fill the Gap
Key takeaways
- But the planet’s shifting outer layer—the crust—eventually broke it apart, according to the well-established scientific theory of plate tectonics.
- The theory proposes that huge rock slabs called tectonic plates float atop a molten mantle layer.
- Now, researchers have found that a rift in eastern Africa, which spans Kenya and Ethiopia, seems to be further along in the breakup process than previously thought—and that an ocean will eventually fill the gap.
But the planet’s shifting outer layer—the crust—eventually broke it apart, according to the well-established scientific theory of plate tectonics.
The theory proposes that huge rock slabs called tectonic plates float atop a molten mantle layer. These plates can move away from each other at locations called rifts, allowing magma to rise and become part of the crust and form new geologic features.
Now, researchers have found that a rift in eastern Africa, which spans Kenya and Ethiopia, seems to be further along in the breakup process than previously thought—and that an ocean will eventually fill the gap. The findings, published April 23 in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that it is the only known active rift in a key phase before forming an ocean basin, and could help explain why the region has preserved such remarkable fossils.