Africa is experiencing a gradual but significant transformation that spans millions of years. Recent research has utilized digitized magnetic data dating back to the late 1960s to reveal that the continent has been slowly splitting apart, a process that began with the separation of Africa and Arabia. This geological phenomenon stretches from the northeastern regions down to the southern part of the continent, resembling a vast zipper on the Earth's surface.
Scientists from Keele University have made notable findings regarding ancient seafloor-spreading patterns beneath the Gulf of Aden and the Afar region. Their study confirms that Africa’s landmass is in the nascent stages of dividing into two distinct regions. While the separation is occurring at a very slow pace—estimated at just 5 to 16 millimeters per year—the cumulative effect over tens of millions of years could eventually create a new ocean.
A notable location for observing this geological split is the Afar Depression, where the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and East African Rift converge. This area is one of the few on Earth where the process of continental breakup is visible on the surface. Beneath the Afar Depression lies a plume of molten mantle rock forking upwards, akin to a beating heart, which is actively pushing the land apart.
The key evidence for this slow rupture has been gathered from unique magnetic ‘stripes’ in the Earth's crust. These patterns are formed each time the Earth’s magnetic poles flip, and they indicate that seafloor spreading has occurred between Africa and Arabia. Additionally, ongoing volcanic activity, earthquakes, and the continuous stretching of the Earth's crust are contributing to the widening rift.
If these geological processes continue over the next 5 to 10 million years, Africa may eventually split into two separated landmasses: a larger western segment encompassing nations like Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, and Namibia and a smaller eastern portion that includes Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and significant parts of Ethiopia. Remarkably, large lakes in this region, such as Lake Turkana and Lake Malawi, may eventually become submerged within a newly formed ocean basin as the land continues to separate.