Earth's slow drift: African rift may spark new continent
Scientists have identified the cause of the breakup of one of Earth's largest continents, which could eventually lead to the formation of a new continent.
Key Information
- East African Rift System: a key area for researchers' studies.
- Superplume: a deep thermal anomaly under Africa.
- New Continent: possible formation over millions of years.
Scientists from the University of Glasgow have uncovered why one of Earth's largest continents is beginning to break apart. There has long been a debate about the formation of the East African Rift System (EARS), which stretches over 1,200 miles through Africa's Great Lakes.
According to ladbible.com, the rift runs through Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi, and is situated between the Somali tectonic plate and the Nubian plate. Scientists report that the plates are systematically moving apart at an average speed of about 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) per year, and they have discovered the reason for this movement.
Through chemical analysis of volcanic gases, researchers identified a massive body of material deep beneath the Earth's surface. The deep thermal anomaly may cause magma to rise, leading to volcanic activity and earthquakes in Africa and nearby regions, as well as tectonic plate separation.
"Our research suggests that a giant hot blob of rock from the core-mantle boundary is present beneath East Africa, it is driving the plates apart and propping up the Africa continent so it hundreds of metres higher than normal," said Professor Fin Stuart, the project leader, quoted by ladbible.com.
What does this mean for the future?
Scientists predict that tectonic separation, which will take one to five million years, may eventually lead to the formation of a new continent.
"In the human life scale, you won't be seeing many changes. You'll be feeling earthquakes, you'll be seeing volcanoes erupt, but you won't see the ocean intrude in our lifetimes," said Professor Ken Macdonald from the University of California.
While these changes are virtually imperceptible on a human timescale, they could lead to increased volcanic and seismic activity in the region. This discovery provides a better understanding of the geological processes that shape our planet.
Biying Chen from the University of Edinburgh, the lead author of the publication, confirmed that gases extracted from their geothermal wells have offered valuable new insights into the Earth's deep interior. The expert added that this will help in understanding not only the geological forces shaping East Africa, but also the fundamental processes that drive the formation of our planet's surface over millions of years.
