Geologists Say That Africa May Be Splitting In Two And An Ocean Will Form Between, But It Will Take Millions Of Years

Geologists Say That Africa May Be Splitting In Two And An Ocean Will Form Between, But It Will Take Millions Of Years

Shutterstock When walking around each day, it is pretty safe to assume that the ground is stable and not going to move from under you. Sure, there are the occasional earthquakes and sinkholes, but those are not too common and are very localized. The reality, however, is that land is moving very slowly. Millions of years ago, the continents were all bunched together in a landmass named Pangea. Millions of years from now, geologists say, there wil…

Africa is splitting—and Earth’s sixth ocean is rising from below

In the dry, sun-scorched deserts of Ethiopia, a slow but astonishing transformation has been unfolding since 2005. A 35-mile-long crack, known as the East African Rift, is gradually tearing through the landscape—marking the early stages of a colossal geological shift. This isn’t just another crack in the earth. It has the power to change global maps, reshape political borders, and give rise to Earth’s sixth ocean. What may seem like a localized …