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Africa Is Splitting: Magma Pulses from Earth’s Mantle May Be Creating a New Ocean

Geological Activity Beneath East Africa Suggests Future Continental Split

Scientists studying the Afar region in East Africa—where three tectonic plates (the African, Arabian, and Somali plates) converge—have observed powerful surges of molten rock rising from the Earth’s mantle. These bursts are weakening the continental crust and may eventually lead to the formation of a new ocean, according to a recent geological study.

 

The research, highlighted in the Times of India, explains that these magma pulses occur periodically, almost like a heartbeat. Each pulse slowly stretches and thins the crust, creating deep cracks that suggest the continent is gradually breaking apart.
By analyzing over 130 samples of basaltic rock across Ethiopia’s volcanic rift systems, scientists found clear chemical signatures indicating repeated mantle upwelling events. These events directly contribute to the tectonic divergence occurring beneath East Africa.
“What we’re witnessing is the very early stage of ocean formation,” said Dr. E.J. Watts, lead author of a related study published in Nature Geoscience. “This is a rare and valuable glimpse into how continents fracture.”
The East African Rift is considered the most extensive active rift on Earth. It extends over 6,000 kilometers and is slowly tearing the African continent into two major landmasses. As the rift widens—by a few millimeters each year—water from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden may eventually flood the gap, forming a new ocean that would divide the African mainland from what is now the Horn of Africa.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01717-0.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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