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The East African Rift System is a crack in the Earth’s crust stretching over 3,000 kilometres from Ethiopia to the southern reaches of East Africa.
East African Rift may form a new ocean. (Representational Image: AP)
The Earth, known for its five major oceans – the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic – may soon be home to a sixth ocean. A major geological shift in East Africa is setting the stage for the continent’s potential division, a process that could create a new ocean over millions of years. This transformation is driven by the East African Rift System, a tectonic fault line that is slowly tearing the African continent apart.
At the heart of this potential geological phenomenon is the East African Rift System, a massive crack in the Earth’s crust stretching over 3,000 kilometres from Ethiopia to the southern reaches of East Africa. This rift is the result of two major tectonic plates – the Somali Plate to the east and the Nubian Plate to the west – slowly pulling away from one another. The Afar region, where these plates converge, is the epicentre of this complex tectonic activity.
Over time, the ongoing movement of these plates is causing the African continent to slowly split, with the eastern portion potentially breaking off to become a separate landmass. This process could create a new ocean, much like the Atlantic Ocean formed when South America and Africa separated millions of years ago.
The separation of the Somali and Nubian plates occurs at an incredibly slow pace- just a few millimetres each year. However, over millions of years, this gradual movement will widen the rift, allowing magma from the Earth’s mantle to rise and fill the gap, eventually forming new oceanic crust. This ongoing process, which has been taking place for millions of years, has recently gained attention due to significant new developments in the region.
In 2020, scientists predicted that the rift could eventually lead to the formation of a new ocean. This theory gained further traction in 2024 when a massive crack was discovered in southeastern Africa, sparking fresh speculation about the rift’s potential to give rise to the Earth’s sixth ocean.
A New Ocean, A New Continent?
As the rift widens, the eastern part of Africa may eventually break away, creating a small, new landmass. This process could be compared to the separation of Madagascar from the African continent millions of years ago. If the rift continues to grow, it could dramatically reshape the region’s geography, transforming previously inland countries into coastal nations.
The formation of this new ocean would bring dramatic changes to the landscape, ecosystems, and human settlements in the region. It could create new coastlines, potentially opening up previously landlocked countries like Uganda and Zambia to maritime trade and fishing. Such transformations could have far-reaching effects on local economies, offering new opportunities for growth, while also posing challenges in terms of infrastructure, agriculture, and human habitation.
The geological activity occurring in East Africa bears a striking resemblance to the processes that led to the formation of the Atlantic Ocean millions of years ago. About 180 million years ago, the separation of South America and Africa resulted in the opening of the Atlantic. Scientists believe the same basic mechanisms are at play in East Africa, suggesting that the new ocean could follow a similar timeline.
Geophysical studies, including those published in Geophysical Research Letters, confirm that the formation of a new ocean is already in progress. However, experts predict it may take millions of years before the rift fully transforms into a distinct ocean.
Impacts on Climate, Biodiversity, and Geopolitics
The creation of a new ocean in East Africa would have far-reaching consequences. As the rift continues to open, it could alter the flow of ocean currents, potentially impacting regional and global climate patterns. New marine ecosystems would also emerge, offering unique habitats for marine life and providing a real-time laboratory for evolutionary studies.
From a geopolitical perspective, the formation of a new ocean could reshape the economic landscape of East Africa. Countries currently without coastlines, such as Uganda, could gain access to the sea, potentially unlocking new opportunities for trade, fishing, and resource exploration. However, these changes would also require significant adaptation in infrastructure, agriculture, and the displacement of communities along the expanding rift.