Africa’s split closer than thought
A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that the Turkana Rift Zone in East Africa is undergoing a more advanced stage of continental separation than previously thought. Researchers identified a process called 'necking,' where the Earth's crust thins significantly, potentially leading to the formation of a new ocean over millions of years.
Why it matters
Provides critical geological insights into tectonic plate movement and the long-term evolution of the Earth's surface.
A section of eastern Africa has reached a more advanced stage of continental separation than previously believed, raising the prospect of a new ocean forming there in the distant future, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent, citing a study published in Nature Communications .
Collage credit: Malika Safargaliyeva/ Canva/ Qazinform The researchers examined the Turkana Rift Zone, which stretches across Kenya and Ethiopia and forms part of the wider East African Rift System. Seismic measurements showed that the Earth's crust is about 13 kilometers thick along the rift's center, compared with more than 35 kilometers farther from it.
"We found that rifting in this zone is more advanced, and the crust is thinner, than anyone had recognized," said lead author Christian Rowan, a researcher at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "Eastern Africa has progressed further in the rifting process than previously thought."
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