Why is Africa splitting? (The Science Behind the Split)
The main reason behind this split is the geological processes taking place in the interior of the Earth.
Tectonic Plate Divergence: The Earth’s crust, the ‘lithosphere’, is divided into several large plates (Tectonic Plates). The African Plate can be divided into two, the ‘Nubian Plate’ and the ‘Somali Plate’. These two plates are slowly moving away from each other in opposite directions.
Magmatic Activity: Hot magma from deep within the Earth rises to the surface. This weakens the Earth’s crust and causes cracks. This heat further stretches the Earth’s crust (Stretching).
Million-year process: This is not a sudden change. This process has been going on for millions of years and is now becoming more apparent. This rift stretches for about 3,000 kilometers across the eastern part of Africa, from Ethiopia to Mozambique.
What will be the consequences?
A new ocean will form: After millions of years, this rift will grow larger and ocean water will rush into the area. Thus, a small part of Africa (the Somali Plate) will separate and a new ocean will form in its place.
Changes in the landscape: This rift valley area is already the center of several lakes (e.g. Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi) and high mountains. In the future, it will become a large strait.
Earthquakes and volcanoes: As the plates move apart, it is natural for this area to experience small earthquakes and volcanic eruptions from time to time.
