Large crack in East African Rift is evidence of continent splitting in two. A large crack, stretching several kilometers, made a sudden appearance recently in south-western Kenya. The tear, which continues to grow, caused part of the Nairobi-Narok highway to collapse and was accompanied by seismic activity in the area.
What is happening to the East African Rift Valley today?
The African continent is slowly separating into several large and small tectonic blocks along the diverging East African Rift System, continuing to Madagascar – the long island just off the coast of Southeast Africa – that itself will also break apart into smaller islands.
What could have caused the crack in the African rift valley?
This result shows there has been no deep movement of magma allowing the crack to form. Given the evidence available at present, the best and simplest explanation is that this crack was in fact formed by erosion of soil beneath the surface due to recent heavy rains in Kenya.
Is Africa splitting in half?
Scientists say a new ocean will form in Africa as the continent continues to split into two. … It is an active continental rift that began millions of years ago, splitting at 7mm annually.
What will happen to the Great Rift Valley in the future?
Rifts are precursors to continental break-ups as the rift widens and the surface becomes thinner. Once the rift splits the continent, the ocean will flood the gap, creating a new continent in the Indian Ocean. In 10 million years, the Somali plate is expected to break off from the main African plate.
How long is the crack in Kenya?
The crack is 50 feet deep and more than 65 feet wide, according to the Daily Nation, a newspaper based in Nairobi, Kenya.
What type of plate movement caused the rift valley?
The Baikal Rift Valley is formed by a divergent plate boundary, where the Amur plate is slowly tearing itself away from the Eurasian plate, and has been doing so for about 25 million years.
What type of fault is the East African Rift Valley?
The East African Rift Valley (EAR) is a developing divergent plate boundary in East Africa. Here the eastern portion of Africa, the Somalian plate, is pulling away from the rest of the continent, that comprises the Nubian plate.
Will Africa become 2 continents?
The continent of Africa is splitting into two parts due to a geological divide, which goes towards the side of the continent. It is believed by geologists that this rift will ultimately give way to a new ocean basin.
How was India separated from Africa?
India was still a part of the supercontinent called Gondwana some 140 million years ago. The Gondwana was composed of modern South America, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia. When this supercontinent split up, a tectonic plate composed of India and modern Madagascar started to drift away.
Will the Red Sea become an ocean?
In Djibouti at the gateway of the Red Sea an oceanographic marvel is occurring – a new ocean is being formed. This ocean is being created by the tectonic plates of Africa and Arabia being torn apart. All oceans are formed in this way, but this is one of the rare places where this process can be witnessed first hand.
Is the Great Rift Valley still growing?
A large crack, stretching several kilometers, made a sudden appearance recently in south-western Kenya. The tear, which continues to grow, caused part of the Nairobi-Narok highway to collapse and was accompanied by seismic activity in the area.
What is collapse of rift?
It is the grouping of these fissures, and the dykes that feed them, that serves to delineate where and whether a rift zone is to be defined. The accumulated lava of repeated eruptions from rift zones along with the endogenous growth created by magma intrusions causes these volcanoes to have an elongated shape.
Is Red Sea expanding?
The Red Sea Rift is a spreading center between two tectonic plates, the African Plate and the Arabian Plate. … Magnetic anomalies suggest that the spreading rate on either side of the Red Sea is about 1 cm/year.