Using ancient magnetic data, a team from Keele University in the UK discovered evidence of a gradual separation between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The separation begins in the northeast of the continent and extends southward, accompanied by volcanic eruptions and increased seismic activity.
It is expected that at the end of the process, which may take five to ten million years, the continent will form two separate blocks: the larger block in the west, which includes most African countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana and Namibia, and the smaller block in the east, which includes Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and a large part of Ethiopia.
Professor Peter Stiles, a geologist at Keele University, noted that the findings reflect how the continents are constantly changing beneath our feet, emphasizing that tectonic theory explains how the Earth's plates have moved over millions of years, leading to the formation of the present continents and oceans.
Scientists are focusing on the East African Rift, one of the continent's most prominent tectonic features, which stretches approximately 6,437 km from Jordan through East Africa to Mozambique. The team believes that future rifting will continue along this rift, dividing some of the region's major lakes, such as Lake Malawi and Lake Turkana.
The Afar region in northeast Africa is a focal point of the study, where three tectonic faults meet: the main Ethiopian Rift, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden—a phenomenon known as the Triple Junction. This region is believed to exhibit early stages of continental separation.
The research team relied on magnetic data collected in 1968 and 1969 using aerial instruments, then combined it with modern technology to analyze the Earth's magnetic field. The analysis revealed ancient seafloor spreading lines between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, indicating that the separation began tens of millions of years ago.
Scientists explain that this process is so slow, at a rate of 5-16 mm per year in the northern part of the rift, that humans will not notice it in the short term. Nevertheless, it represents an ongoing process of forming new continents and oceans on Earth.
The results were published in the journal "African Earth Sciences".
