A monumental geological event is unfolding in East Africa, where the continent’s tectonic plates are slowly drifting apart, potentially giving rise to a new ocean in the distant future.
The East African Rift, an active tectonic boundary running through several nations, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda, is at the heart of this ongoing split. This rift is causing Africa to gradually separate into two landmasses, a process that could eventually form a sixth ocean on Earth, as noted by Business Today.
The East African Rift is marked by the movement of three tectonic plates—the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian plates. A rift that opened up in Ethiopia in 2005, stretching 35 miles, is a striking example of the region’s geological transformation.
Should this tectonic shift continue, it could lead to the separation of a large portion of East Africa from the rest of the continent, potentially releasing a staggering 10,000 billion gallons of water into the new body of water, creating an entirely new ocean. The process, however, will unfold over millions of years.
While the long-term implications of such a dramatic shift could have dire consequences for human populations—displacing millions, destroying cities, and dramatically altering global geography—the emergence of a new ocean could bring certain benefits as well.
Business Today suggests that the formation of a new ocean could offer economic opportunities for landlocked countries like Uganda and Zambia, providing new coastlines, ports, and trade routes that could transform regional commerce.
Furthermore, the new ocean would foster unique marine ecosystems and biodiversity, offering exciting opportunities for scientific research on ocean evolution and ecological adaptation.
Though the event is millions of years away, the gradual tectonic movements are a reminder of Earth’s ever-changing nature and the potential for dramatic shifts in our planet’s future. For now, there’s no immediate cause for concern.
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