New reports have uncovered shocking details about the formation of the world’s sixth ocean!
250 million years ago, the continents were all joined together as part of a supercontinent called Pangaea.
Over time, Pangaea slowly broke apart, forming the continents we have today.
But the story doesn’t end here because the continents are still moving and scientists have warned that Africa is splitting apart.
As per MSN, this spill will eventually lead to the creation of a new ocean that will separate two continents.
Why is this happening?
The Earth’s crust and mantle are made up of tectonic plates that are always moving.
Tectonic plates constantly move in different directions, either pulling apart, crashing together or sliding past each other and these movements cause volcanic activity and earthquakes.
Scientists have discovered a huge crack, about 2,000 miles long, in southeastern Africa.
This crack, known as a fissure is gradually getting wider by 6 to 7 millimeters every year.
As per the reports, the area where the tectonic plates are separating is called the East African Rift Valley (EAR) which is part of a larger system called the East African Rift System.
If the plates continue to separate, countries like Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and parts of Ethiopia will eventually form a new continent, which will be the world’s sixth ocean.
When is this expected to happen?
The Geological Society of London said in a statement, “Today the EAR remains above sea level however in the future, as extension continues along the rift, the rift valley will sink lower and lower eventually allowing ocean waters to flood into the basin.”
The statement added, “If rifting continues, new basaltic oceanic crust may form along the centre of the rift producing a new narrow ocean basin with its own mid-ocean ridge between the Nubian and Somalian plates.”
Many scientists have long thought it would take tens of millions of years but some suggested that this might happen much sooner, in just one to five million years.
