Earthquakes and tidal waves caused by tectonic plates are disasters that people are used to. But splitting the continent in two is something new and something that could happen to Africa.

Geology professor Cynthia Ebinger of Tulane University told the English tabloid The Sun that the plates surrounding the African continent have been “cutting apart” for more than 30 years. Information taken from R7.

A geological fault could have caused the split of Africa 30 years ago. Photo: Diego Delso / Creative Commons 1

The geological fault was discovered in 2005.

As a result, a large geological fault was formed on the continent. Discovered in 2005, it is called the Great Rift Valley or the Great Rift Valley and arose as a result of the separation of the African and Arabian tectonic plates.

The valley stretches over 3000 km from northern Syria to central Mozambique, its width varies from 30 to 100 km, and in some places it can be thousands of meters deep.

The Nubian and Somali plates separate from the Arabian plate to the north, creating a Y-shaped rift system, the Geological Society explained. These plates intersect in the Afar region of Ethiopia in what is known as the “triple junction”.

This region is characterized by high volcanic activity and large river systems, and some researchers believe that the cause of the fault is a massive ejection of magma from the planet’s core.

However, scientists believe that the separation of the continent will take another five to 10 million years, as the plates are moving apart by “only” about 6.35 mm per year.

What will Africa look like after the split?

When Africa finally splits, the entire territory of Somalia and parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania will form a new continent.

You must have heard of the escarpments of the great East African Rift Valley that occurred 25 million years ago. yes, it is in Uganda, in the Kyambura Rubirizi area, in K. Elizabeth NP. It has been preserved to this day. #I will vote for Museveni pic.twitter.com/w4NNBTeD6g

— Brian Mixological???? (@brianmixological) December 8, 2020

According to the theory of geologists, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea will flood the Afar region and the Great Rift Valley, and this part of East Africa will become a separate small continent.

They’re not sure if the pace of separation will accelerate over the years or what will happen to the oceans once the process is complete, but they know we won’t be here to see it.