It is shocking to know that Africa might have a new ocean. Natural phenomena, but what are the consequences? When I ask you this question, trust me, I am equally filled with anxiety, so let’s delve into the discussion.
In the article, I will highlight how splitting the African continent can significantly impact many lives! Furthermore, what the scientists think will also be a topic of discussion. It will give you a better understanding of how the two parts of the African Plate can bring in a huge geographical change.
The different developments of the continent and how they will impact the other surrounding regions are all probabilities that have been calculated based on scientific data. This is analogous to human evolution future as it contributes to the bigger picture!
I will also present this data so you can better understand the future of the ocean!
Read About The Shocking New Formation Of A New Ocean In Africa
A geologically long process, the African continent will be divided into two parts, which might take millions of years. The East African Rift System (EARS) is a colossal land breakup stretching across thousands of kilometers encompassing countries on the African continent.
The rift first appeared in Kenya in 2018. However, it was according to a study in 2004 that predicted that there is a possibility that the African plate is splitting into two.
Intense Storms In Recent Years…
In recent years, a lot of storms have been taking place across the land movement that is taking place in the tectonic plates. GPS tracking provides evidence of storms of different rates observed as the Arabian plate moves away from Africa.
With the measurements of these storms through GPS, scientists will better understand how the ocean will form. By the way, one part of Africa will completely become a separate continent!
The African Tectonic Plates Are Splitting…
The rift system is a slow but sure process dividing the African continent into two parts. The smaller part is called the Somalian Plate, while the larger is the Nubian Plate. The two plates are pulling away from each other even though the pull is so slow, equivalent to millimeters annually.
Countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Ethiopia are all targets of this rift. With the cracks appearing in different African countries while pictures and videos of the splits on social media platforms are viral, people claim it as evidence.
However, it is too early for any such thing to happen concerning EARS. The valleys in and across Africa are experiencing regular rifting activity; however, the process might take about 25 million years for an ocean to form properly.
Is There A Possibility Of A New Ocean Forming…
The crack in Kenya became viral because people started worrying about the separation of the African continent. It might be a whisper of what is spreading across the continent and might, in the future, lead to becoming an ocean.
Yet, it is a long process. The continent might look completely different in the next 5 to 10 million years. Within this period, a water body might surface within the rift, leading to the evaluation and displacement of millions of people.
The eastern shoulder of the African continent will be cut off with the ocean appearing, while East Africa will have a sea presiding over it. I am saying all this in a probable perception because the earth’s surface is constantly in flux! Which means it is continually moving and adjusting.
Humans cannot account for or understand it because the process is as slow as a slug! So, the constant movements of the tectonic plates are responsible for the possibility of a new ocean forming between the two plates of Africa, Somalian, and Nubian.
This is a significant development regarding the geographical and moral differences between North Korea vs South Korea. Read along to know more…
What Is Science Predicting About The Rift?
When discussing anything based on evidence and theories, we turn to science. To a certain extent, human beings have become dependent on science, especially because some people are very logical and will not believe anything without evidence.
Therefore, based on the geographical evidence, we have learned that the map of the world we see today is also the outcome of the recent tectonic plate movement. The plates are like jigsaw pieces or puzzles that keep moving and then slot together to form a specific shape.
Around a million years ago, the tectonic plates moved to an extent where a change was evident in topography and geography. For example, 138 million years ago, South America and Africa split up to become two independent continents.
Similarly, in 2020, Scientists are predicting that there is a possibility of a new ocean being created between two separate parts of Africa. The study informs that a unique coastline might be on the horizon as the East African Rift with a crack of about 56 kilometers.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters, the kilometers appearing in the desert of Ethiopia in 2005 might trigger the formation of a new sea or an ocean. A doctoral student from the University of Leed, Christopher Moore, makes a probable guess about the development in about 5 to 10 million years.
What Might Be The Consequences?
When you try to evaluate the occurrence of the rift across Africa, the first point that comes to mind is displacement. Imagine many people across many countries in Africa who might be homeless for a long time!
The United Nations Environment Programme report in 2015 talks about the internal displacement of 15 million people in Africa. Fauna and flora, as well as the removal of communities and settlements, will all be impacted by the shift in the tectonic plates.
Water, food, and energy might be scarce, so a lot of pressure on natural resources will impact the increased settlements and rapid urbanization. Even urban waste disposal will be affected significantly as it is added to the mix.
The continental breakup integrates a fear, especially because there is a proximity to the hot molten asthenosphere along with the occurring cracks and fissures. The unique topography that will occur along with enclosed terrain and depressions leads to seismic activity.
Finishing Off…
Read more about the possibility of a new ocean in Africa with the split across the African continent! The two parts of the continent will give birth to a new Ocean, which is quite interesting, along with how things change. The changes in the tectonic plates have a lot of stories to tell!
Does this also put a question in your head regarding the instability of the future of Earth and human beings as a whole?
Comment on what you think about the formation of the ocean and the probability of it!
Read Also:
