The east of the African continent is marked by a major fault which could eventually develop the opening of a new ocean.

The shapes of the seas and continents evolve and vary over the centuries. And a characteristic evolution of the formation of a new ocean would be unfolding, right now, under the watchful eyes of researchers. A rift is indeed being formed on the African continent. A rift is first signaled by the appearance of a fault in the earth’s crust. Then over several million years, this fault can tear apart areas as large as a continent. Water from the oceans can then flow into it and create a new sea. The Afar rift is the only one present on Earth today that risks opening up to water.

Researchers from Virginia Tech in the United States conducted an extensive study of the East African Rift Rift System using various computer models and GPS instruments over a period of more than 12 years. Their results, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, show that at the rift, the Earth’s crust thins and forms a rift ditch under the action of stretching forces.

According to specialists quoted in the Geological Society of London, this huge depression could soon divide Africa. The awe-inspiring fissure features two sets of parallel fractures in the Earth’s crust: the Eastern Rift, which runs through Ethiopia and Kenya, and the Western Rift, which runs in an arc from Uganda to Malawi.

However, the outcome of this rift, which appeared 25 million years ago, still raises many questions. According to geologists, when stretching or breaking, the deformation accompanying the East African Rift should follow predictable directional patterns relative to the rift. This would result in the separation of the Horn of Africa from the African continent in several tens of millions of years. Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya and a large part of Ethiopia would then be concerned.

In their recent study, US researchers used 3D models to explore the processes driving the East African Rift System. But according to the CNRS, “many observation campaigns will still be needed to unravel the mysteries of the opening of the future ocean, while ensuring the protection of surrounding ecosystems and activities.”