The African continent experiences an extraordinary geological transformation at present. Scientific evidence shows that East Africa is in the process of separating while the rift has become observable. Tectonic activity will form a new ocean, which will permanently alter Africa’s present map.
The East African Rift System extends 6,000 kilometers as a fault line that connects the Red Sea to Mozambique, where this geological process is currently visible. The area exists where three tectonic plates known as the African Plate, the Somali Plate, and the Arabian Plate converge. The plates have separated from each other for more than 25 million years, which produced the dramatic rift valleys alongside volcanic features, including Mount Kilimanjaro.
The Horn of Africa, consisting of Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, moves away from mainland Africa through yearly millimeter-to-centimeter shifts. The Atlantic Ocean formed through a similar geological process as Africa separated from the Americas millions of years ago.
Geologists predicted such a 60-kilometer fissure in western Ethiopia would take centuries to form, but it appeared in only a few days during 2005. The rapid pace of the continental split has ignited fresh arguments about potential speed estimates.
According to geologist Gilles Chazot, new oceans emerge as continents separate from each other. The Afar region is likely to develop into a waterway that would transform the Horn of Africa into a substantial island.
The area serves as a vital commercial center because it stands close to the Red Sea and Suez Canal. The developing changes in the landscape will create major impacts on both ecosystems and economic systems and geopolitical approaches.
The complete separation stands as a process that will require millions of years, but scientists confirm its current development. The rare geological process grants scientists the opportunity to witness directly how continents separate and how Earth continues its natural development.
