A New Ocean is Forming in the Middle of Africa

Here is some exciting news—Africa’s about to split into two, and a new ocean will form in the middle! Scientists have been aware that the plates have been pulling apart but new oceans forming is not something most of us would have predicted.

It is true that the African tectonic plate is starting to shift and that volcanic activities may start in the region. In turn, this new development may cause water from the Atlantic Ocean to flow inland through the southern edge of the continent, or through the Ethiopian horn of Africa. 

The continental rift resulting in Africa splitting into two will occur along the East African Rift Valley, the main branch of the East African Rift System.

As the African Plate drifts apart, the formation of a new ocean will occur in the rift valley over millions of years. But, rifting is not an uncommon occurrence on its own. However, over time, this can have major repercussions on the landscape.

Tectonic plates are like huge puzzle pieces that make up the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. They’re composed of oceanic and continental crust, and when they shift around, earthquakes can happen.

Tectonic plates come in all sizes, from the big guys to the little ones. When it comes to the major players, there are seven that stand out, and one of them is the African plate. These plates are constantly on the move. Some plates shift toward each other, some drift away, and some grind past each other.

The African Plate is the world’s fourth-largest tectonic plate border. The crustal components include both continental and oceanic crust. The African main plate, for instance, incorporates the entirety of the African continent and the surrounding oceanic crust of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Nubian plate is one of the smaller tectonic plates, but it’s still an important player in the world of plate tectonics. Located in northeastern Africa, it’s surrounded by larger plates like the African and Arabian plates.

The Somali plate is another small but significant tectonic plate located in the eastern part of Africa. It’s bordered by the Nubian, African, and Indian plates, and its movement has significantly shaped the region’s geography.

The Arabian plate is a large tectonic plate that covers much of the Arabian Peninsula and parts of the Middle East. It’s surrounded by other major plates like the African, Eurasian, and Indian plates. Its movement has contributed to the formation of numerous geological features, including the Zagros Mountains and the Red Sea.

Rifting occurs in areas where the tectonic plates are moving apart. This can happen due to a variety of factors, including the presence of magma beneath the Earth’s surface, the pressure created by the movement of the plates themselves, and the effects of gravity.

A thorough assessment of maps used by explorers from several centuries ago may find them inaccurate in the 21st century. One of the reasons for this is error margins in some of their calculations and lack of precision in the survey equipment. 

The Arabian plate has been sliding away from the African plate for the past 30 million years. As a result of this process, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden were formed between the two connected landmasses of Africa and Arabia.

On September 26, 2005, the Dabbahu Volcano, which is situated on the Somali Plate, erupted, leaving a massive rift in the ground. Scientists predicted that after the rift formed, the land in the area, known as the East African Rift, would eventually separate and create a new island that would include eastern Ethiopia and Djibouti, with a brand new sea in between.

According to a study led by Virginia Tech, the ongoing process of plate tectonic separation will eventually lead to the redefinition of the African and Indian Ocean regions.

Africa bears the brunt of displacement, with a greater number of countries affected than any other region in the world. The United Nations Environment Programme reported that by 2015, over 15 million Africans were internally displaced.

It is true that the splitting of the continent is not some reality that is manifesting immediately. But it may lead to some diplomatic crises in the future. 

On the bright side, this breaking of Africa into two will create new coastlines for landlocked countries like Uganda and Zambia. Just imagine, these nations will finally have their own shores to boast about! Plus, new coastlines mean new opportunities for economic growth.

The landlocked countries of Africa have one of the harshest deserts on earth, with temperatures sometimes peaking at 58 °C. Desert encroachment has been an issue that Africa has been trying to check in places like the Sahara and Namib.

Remember what the Panama Canals did to trade in that region, and it took many years and resources to construct. Africa is getting its own new trade route on a platter of gold.