The Birth of New Ocean In Africa

1. Remember the 20-foot wide crack in the Ethiopian desert? Well, that might be turning into a new ocean!

2. For millions of years, the Arabian plate has been moving away from Africa at the rate of an inch per year. This has led to the formation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Adan between the two landmasses. Something similar is unfolding in Africa once again.

3. At present, the Somali plate is drifting away from the Nubian plate at a rate of 0.2 inches per year. Geologists studying this case believe that after a few million years the African continent will split, leading to the formation of an ocean between the two new African landmasses.

4.This isn't the only observation. The crack that emerged amidst the desert in 2005 did not form gradually. While the constant movement of tectonic placements was recorded much below the surface of Earth, a sudden pressure relief requirement led to the occurrence of the crack.

5. This made some geologists think that the plate might be moving at a higher rate. Therefore, it can have a balloon effect on the landmass. Meaning, the pressure would keep building until the land would no longer be able to withstand it.

6. Just as a balloon would suddenly burst if the pressure is too high, some geologists expect the landmass to experience a literal ground-breaking reaction! This crack has elements from deep within the earth - coming up to its opening and depositing at the crust.

7. After analyzing the composition of the deposit, geologists found it to be similar to that of an oceanic crust. Therefore, there is a high probability that an ocean would build up if and when the landmass separates.

8. The process has started and it is giving seismologists a lot to research upon. It might take a million years for the new ocean to become a reality or given the unpredictability of nature, it could be sooner. For all we know, humans might even go extinct by then and aliens might inhabit this small new continent.