Africa is splitting apart, the earth is smoking; new ocean separation is inevitable, researchers say

Colombia: New reports from the scientific world indicate that the African continent is witnessing a major geographical change.

Studies conducted in the Turkana Rift Zone in Kenya indicate that the rifting of the African continent, which has been going on for millions of years, is now accelerating and the process of forming a new ocean has begun. There is no doubt that this change in nature will change the map of the Earth itself.

The African continent is being split in two by the movement of tectonic plates, the Earth's surface layers, away from each other. Currently, the African plate is separating into two parts, the Nubian plate and the Somali plate. 

As the gap between these plates increases, a large rift will form in the African continent in the future, and water from the Indian Ocean will rush in.

Studies conducted by researchers at Columbia University reveal the severity of this rift. Areas of the Earth's crust that are so thin are rare in the world. The crust, which is usually about 35 kilometers thick under the continents, is only 13 kilometers thick in the Turkana region. This is a surprising discovery for geological calculations.

Scientists call the phenomenon of the Earth's crust becoming less than 15 kilometers thick 'necking'. Once this stage is reached, even nature cannot stop the split. Researchers underline that the process of the African continent splitting is now in the necking stage and that this is an inevitable separation of the continent.

It is believed that the Turkana region was triggered by massive volcanic eruptions that occurred about 4 million years ago. Lava flows and underground pressure stretched the Earth's crust, gradually thinning it out and disappearing. Here we see the accelerating pace of change that has lasted for billions of years.

Historically, this region has been a treasure trove for those studying human evolution. The oldest fossils of early humans have been found in the Turkana region. Strangely enough, scientists also note that this region became a center of human evolution at the same time as this rift process began.

The main advantage of this is that the geological changes that occurred as the Earth began to split apart helped preserve the fossils. Soil and debris quickly accumulated in the deep cracks, preserving the remains of the organisms that lived there. If this natural phenomenon had not occurred, it is likely that the evidence of our ancestors would have dissolved into the soil.

Although future changes are unpredictable, within the next few million years a large part of Africa, including the eastern coastline and the island of Madagascar, will separate from the mainland.

 This would cut modern Africa in two and create a new waterway between them. This area could later become known as the world's eighth ocean.

These changes in Africa remind us of the great truth that the Earth is still an active planet and is constantly undergoing transformation. The report, published in the international scientific journal Nature Communications, has opened the way for a major global debate. These changes will determine the boundaries of the Earth in the coming ages.