AfricaThe size of the crack in the middle of the is getting bigger and bigger. After this fissure problem came to light, the threat of dividing the country into two parts has increased more than before. The cracking incident came to light in early March. A fissure about 56 kilometers long was then visible, but by June the fissure had grown longer and longer.
According to the Geological Society of London, the valley extends for about 3,500 kilometers from the Red Sea to Mozambique. And this entire area is slowly turning into a big crack. According to information, a new ocean may form following this rift.
Why and how cracks occur?
Due to this long-term rifting process, questions are being raised all over the world whether Africa will now be divided into two parts. If so, when will it happen? Geologists have gathered in search of an answer to this question. And for this scientists have started studying tectonic plates.
According to NASA's Earth Observatory, the Somali tectonic plate in East Africa is being pulled eastward by the Nubian tectonic plate. The Somali Plate is also called the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate is also called the African Plate.
According to geologists, the Somali and Nubian plates are also separating from the Arabian plate. The Geological Society of London found in its study that these plates form a Y-shaped rift system in Ethiopia.
University of California Earth Science Professor Ken MacDonald has said that the rate of cracking is currently slow, but the risk is high. It is not clear how far its impact may go in the future.
What will happen if Africa is divided?
According to the Geological Society of London, rifts in the East African region are more likely due to warming and weakening of the Earth between Kenya and Ethiopia. This heat has caused the rock inside the Earth to stretch and fracture.
NASA's Earth Observatory has discovered that the rift between Africa could form an ocean. This new region will include Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti and the eastern parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.
There are also legends about the crack
Scientists are also debating what will happen in the coming years if the African continent breaks up. The natural forces that cause cracks in the Earth may also slow down in the future, says scientist Ebinger. This has happened many times in history. The separation of the Somali and Nubian plates may also be less.
Ebinger also states that this type of first active and then dry cracks has been observed many times around the world. According to him, Africa can avoid the threat of rift.
