For now, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and half of Ethiopia are gradually separating from the rest of the continent. The complete separation of these territories should occur within the next 50,000 years. This geological phenomenon can lead to the emergence of a new ocean.
The phenomenon occurs in the Afar, intersection of the Nubian, Somali and Arabian plates, in the east of the continent. Today, it's the only place where you can see how a continental rift turns into an oceanic rift.
The separation of the Somali tectonic plate and the great Nubian tectonic plate will split the world's second largest continent in two - a phenomenon that was not observed hundreds of millions of years ago, when South America and Africa split into different continents.
The findings are based on a 2004 study of the separation of the Somali tectonic plate and the greater Nubian tectonic plate. The study, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, revealed that the plates move apart by a few millimeters per year.
Experts explain that the giant rift is driven by tectonic processes similar to those that occur at the bottom of the ocean.
