Latest news with #EastAfricanRiftSystem
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Primordial' superplume of deep mantle splitting Africa in two, study suggests
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Researchers have found new evidence that a gigantic superplume of hot rock is rising beneath Africa, causing intense volcanic activity and splitting the continent in two. Geologists have long known that Africa is slowly breaking apart in a region called the East African Rift System (EARS), but the driving force behind this massive geological process was up for debate. Now, a new study has presented geochemical evidence that a previously theorized superplume is pressing up against — and fracturing — the African crust. Scientists found that gases at the Meengai geothermal field in central Kenya have a chemical signature that comes from deep inside Earth's mantle, likely from between the bottom of the mantle and the core. The signature matches those of gases found in volcanic rocks to the north, in the Red Sea, and to the south, in Malawi, indicating all of these places are sitting on the same deep mantle rock, according to a statement from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. "The deep mantle signatures observed in different segments of EARS are remarkably similar, suggesting that they all originate from a common deep source," study first-author Biying Chen, a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, told Live Science in an email. The researchers published their findings May 12 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Related: 'River of fire' unleashes toxic gases as eruption destroys town in La Palma — Earth from space EARS is the largest active continental rift system on Earth, ripping through around 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers) of Africa. The lithosphere, Earth's rocky outer shell of crust and upper mantle, has been gradually breaking apart across the rift for around 35 million years. This has left a network of valleys that carve through the top of the continent from the Red Sea off northeastern Africa to Mozambique in southern Africa. Previous studies identified signs of a deep mantle plume beneath EARS in noble gas signatures. Noble gases, such as helium and neon, are rare and inert, which means they usually don't chemically react with other substances. As a result, they stick around for a long time, so researchers can use them to trace long-term geological processes. However, Chen noted that these geochemical tracers have been sparse and often controversial beneath EARS. To help clarify what's going on beneath EARS, the team used high-precision instruments to look for neon (Ne) isotopes in Kenyan gases — and they detected a deep mantle signature. The signature in the gases is very similar to those of the most primordial (ancient) surface signatures in Hawaii, which is also thought to be sitting on a deep mantle plume. "We were very excited to see the preliminary Ne isotope data showing the primordial deep mantle signature," Chen said. "But the deep mantle signature is small and we had to work hard to disentangle it — truthfully there was no Eureka moment, we frequently questioned the result and spent many hours checking and re-checking the data." RELATED STORIES —Mystery of Bolivian 'zombie' volcano finally solved —Pair of 'glowing' lava lakes spotted on Africa's most active volcanoes as they erupt simultaneously — Earth from space —'It was amazing': Scientists discover ash from 2 mystery volcanic eruptions in Wyoming Once the team had rigorously assessed the data, they became confident that the signature was genuine and matched signatures found in other parts of the rift. Chen noted that the EARS plume likely originates from the core-mantle boundary, about 1,800 miles (2,900 km) deep inside the Earth. While the EARS signatures are similar to those found in volcanic rocks on Hawaii, Chen noted that the Hawaii plume is proposed to be a discrete rising stream of hot mantle, a bit like a lava lamp, while the EARS plume is probably a different shape. "More likely a large mass of upwelling of hot buoyant material from deep within the Earth has replaced the mantle that was originally beneath the EARS," Chen said. "As it has risen and meets the solid colder lithosphere it spreads out generating enough force to fracture the thin lithosphere, leading to intense volcanic activity in the region."
The Irish Sun
28-05-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Africa is being split apart by intense ‘superplume' of hot rock 1,800 miles below Earth's surface, experts warn
AFRICA is splitting apart - meaning the continent will form two separate land masses with an ocean in between in several million years, experts say. But the driving force behind the continental drift has long been debated. Advertisement 7 The East African Rift System drives volcanic activity in places like the Erta Ale volcano in Ethiopia Credit: Getty 7 Damage caused by the rift at an intersection in Maai Mahiu-Narok Credit: Nation 7 Scientists previously thought Africa's tectonic plates, which collided to form large mountains and pulled apart to create vast basins, were simply moving apart again. But a new A gigantic superplume of hot rock, roughly 1,800 miles (2,900km) beneath the Earth's surface, is pushing up against the African crust and fracturing it. Professor Fin Stuart, of the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), led the project. Advertisement READ MORE ON EARTH SCIENCE He said: "We have long been interested in how the deep Earth rises to surface, how much is transported, and just what role it plays on forming the large-scale topography of the Earth's surface. "Our research suggests that a giant hot blob of rock from the core-mantle boundary is present beneath East Africa, it is driving the plates apart and propping up the Africa continent so it hundreds of metres higher than normal." Experts suspected as much back in 2023, but geologists have now detected volcanic gases that back up the theory. The Meengai geothermal field in central Kenya has a chemical signature that comes from deep inside Earth's mantle, matching those found in volcanic rocks to the north, in the Red Sea, and to the south, in Malawi. Advertisement Most read in Science The discovery indicates that all these locations are sat atop the same deep mantle rock, according to experts. Inside active volcano where world's largest ACID lake is buried - so dangerous it melts human skin & spews blue lava Study co-author, Biying Chen, of the University of Edinburgh and SUERC, said: "These gases from our geothermal wells have provide valuable new insight into the Earth's deep interior." Chen added that the findings will help researchers to understand both the geological forces shaping East Africa and "the fundamental processes which drive the formation of our planet's surface over millions of years". 7 The split would create a new ocean Credit: Getty Advertisement The East African Rift System (EARS) is the largest active continental rift system on Earth. It is in the process of ripping through around 2,175miles (3,500km) of Africa. Continental rifting is nothing new for Earth - and is the reason why we have seven continents today. Roughly 240 million years ago, long before humans roamed, Earth was home to just one supercontinent known as Pangaea. Advertisement The Scottish Highlands, the Appalachians, and the Atlas Mountains were actually all part of the same mountain range on Pangaea, but were torn apart by continental drift. In January, Ken Macdonald, a professor at the University of California, warned the continent was splitting at a Somalia and parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania will form a distinct continent, accompanied by a fresh coastline. The split would create a new ocean, and a small new continent that he said could be called the "Nubian continent". Advertisement "What might happen is that the waters of the Indian Ocean would come in and flood what is now the East African Rift Valley," Ken Macdonald, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told the The new ocean could become as deep as the Atlantic if waters continue to flow into the area, added Macdonald. 7 A deep chasm next to a repaired section of road that had been washed away during a heavy downpour at Maai-Mahiu in 2018, around 54km southwest of Nairobi capital Nakuru Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 Women work on their farm near a chasm suspected to have been caused by a heavy downpour along an underground fault-line near the Rift Valley town of Mai Mahiu, Kenya March 28, 2018. Picture taken March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya Credit: Reuters / Thomas Mukoya Advertisement 7 Continental rifting is nothing new for Earth - and is the reason why we have seven continents today Credit: Getty
Economic Times
23-05-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Is Africa splitting in two? Scientists uncover fiery force tearing the continent apart faster than predicted
iStock Scientists have uncovered a massive superheated force beneath East Africa that's rapidly tearing the continent apart. The East African Rift, once thought to take tens of millions of years to split, may now form a new ocean in just one to five million years. Deep beneath the sun-scorched plains of East Africa, something extraordinary is unfolding—something so vast in scale that it could eventually reshape the very face of our planet. A new study has revealed that the East African Rift System (EARS), the 2,000-mile-long tear that runs from Ethiopia to Malawi, is ripping apart the continent at nearly double the previously estimated speed. According to a report from the Daily Mail , this dramatic process, long thought to be glacially slow, is being accelerated by a powerful and ancient force surging from the depths of the Earth—a massive upwelling of superheated rock known as the African Superplume. Scientists say this 'giant hot blob' is not only pushing tectonic plates apart but also elevating the continent by hundreds of meters. And its influence is far greater—and faster—than once believed. At the heart of this seismic drama lies the boundary between the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate, where GPS tracking has long recorded their gradual separation. But new research led by scientists from the University of Glasgow, using advanced isotope tracing and high-precision mass spectrometry, now suggests that this process is being driven from deep within the Earth's mantle—far deeper than surface tectonic activity alone could explain. By studying the isotopes of the noble gas neon from Kenya's Menengai geothermal field, researchers traced the chemical signature back to the core-mantle boundary. It's a smoking gun that confirms the presence of the African Superplume—an enormous reservoir of molten rock fueling the continental rift. "We've always known the surface was changing, but now we know the true power lies far below," said lead author Professor Fin Stuart. "This upwelling force is not only driving the plates apart, it's lifting the entire region." The consequences of this tectonic ballet are already visible on the surface. In 2005, a sudden swarm of over 400 earthquakes in Ethiopia's Afar region opened a staggering 37-mile-long fissure in just days. In 2018, another colossal crack tore through Kenya's Great Rift Valley, halting traffic and making headlines around the world. As the rift continues to widen—now at around 0.2 inches per year—the stage is being set for an entirely new ocean to form. According to marine geophysicist Ken Macdonald, 'The Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea will eventually flood into the East African Rift Valley. A new ocean will be born.' In the distant future—possibly within just one to five million years—countries like Somalia, eastern Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania could drift away from the mainland, creating a new continent altogether. Meanwhile, landlocked nations such as Uganda and Zambia might find themselves with coastlines, completely reshaping regional geopolitics and trade routes. — Rainmaker1973 (@Rainmaker1973) Beyond the astonishing visuals and dramatic forecasts, this research underscores a profound truth: our planet is in constant, powerful motion. What appears to be solid and eternal underfoot is, in reality, shifting, cracking, and transforming. The East African Rift is not just a tear in the Earth's crust—it's a preview of planetary rebirth, a glimpse into the same elemental forces that once shaped the Atlantic Ocean and will eventually redraw the map once again. So, are the continents breaking apart faster than we imagined? The science says yes—and East Africa is just the beginning.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Is Africa splitting in two? Scientists uncover fiery force tearing the continent apart faster than predicted
Deep beneath the sun-scorched plains of East Africa, something extraordinary is unfolding—something so vast in scale that it could eventually reshape the very face of our planet. A new study has revealed that the East African Rift System (EARS), the 2,000-mile-long tear that runs from Ethiopia to Malawi, is ripping apart the continent at nearly double the previously estimated speed. According to a report from the Daily Mail , this dramatic process, long thought to be glacially slow, is being accelerated by a powerful and ancient force surging from the depths of the Earth—a massive upwelling of superheated rock known as the African Superplume . Scientists say this 'giant hot blob' is not only pushing tectonic plates apart but also elevating the continent by hundreds of meters. And its influence is far greater—and faster—than once believed. A Fiery Revelation Beneath the Rift At the heart of this seismic drama lies the boundary between the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate, where GPS tracking has long recorded their gradual separation. But new research led by scientists from the University of Glasgow, using advanced isotope tracing and high-precision mass spectrometry, now suggests that this process is being driven from deep within the Earth's mantle—far deeper than surface tectonic activity alone could explain. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Crossout: New Apocalyptic MMO Crossout Play Now Undo By studying the isotopes of the noble gas neon from Kenya's Menengai geothermal field , researchers traced the chemical signature back to the core-mantle boundary. It's a smoking gun that confirms the presence of the African Superplume—an enormous reservoir of molten rock fueling the continental rift . "We've always known the surface was changing, but now we know the true power lies far below," said lead author Professor Fin Stuart. "This upwelling force is not only driving the plates apart, it's lifting the entire region." You Might Also Like: Why are resilient people so funny? Wellness expert explains the science behind laughter and healing from pain iStock At the heart of this seismic drama lies the boundary between the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate (African Plate), where GPS tracking has long recorded their gradual separation. Splitting at the Seams: From Cracks to Coastlines The consequences of this tectonic ballet are already visible on the surface. In 2005, a sudden swarm of over 400 earthquakes in Ethiopia's Afar region opened a staggering 37-mile-long fissure in just days. In 2018, another colossal crack tore through Kenya's Great Rift Valley, halting traffic and making headlines around the world. As the rift continues to widen—now at around 0.2 inches per year—the stage is being set for an entirely new ocean to form. According to marine geophysicist Ken Macdonald, 'The Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea will eventually flood into the East African Rift Valley. A new ocean will be born.' In the distant future—possibly within just one to five million years—countries like Somalia, eastern Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania could drift away from the mainland, creating a new continent altogether. Meanwhile, landlocked nations such as Uganda and Zambia might find themselves with coastlines, completely reshaping regional geopolitics and trade routes. — Rainmaker1973 (@Rainmaker1973) What This Means for Earth's Future Beyond the astonishing visuals and dramatic forecasts, this research underscores a profound truth: our planet is in constant, powerful motion. What appears to be solid and eternal underfoot is, in reality, shifting, cracking, and transforming. You Might Also Like: Want a fear-free mango season? Here is the science behind mango pimples and ulcers, and how to avoid them The East African Rift is not just a tear in the Earth's crust—it's a preview of planetary rebirth , a glimpse into the same elemental forces that once shaped the Atlantic Ocean and will eventually redraw the map once again. So, are the continents breaking apart faster than we imagined? The science says yes—and East Africa is just the beginning.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Africa is going through a massive breakup thanks to an impending continental separation
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Africa is dividing in two, and a new landmass and ocean may form sooner than expected. The change could alter the climate and ecosystem of the region, as well as the way humans live. In the geologic history of Earth, shifting plate tectonics are commonplace. Africa's impending rift is but another chapter in that story. The Earth's continents are far from constant. Plate tectonics have caused the landmasses to shift over time, and another shift is occurring in the 21st century. Scientists have known for the past two decades that Africa has been splitting. In 2005, Ethiopia experienced earthquakes that caused the appearance of a 35-mile-long fissure in the desert called the East African Rift. "It marked the start of a long process in which the African plate is splitting into two tectonic plates: the Somali plate and the Nubian plate," said Unilad. Then, in 2018, another crack appeared in Kenya along the rift. The cracks are "associated with the East African Rift System (EARS)," which stretches "downward for thousands of kilometers through several countries in Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique," said IFL Science. The rift has been widening over time, and along the system there have been varying levels of seismic activity, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science. But "in the human life scale, you won't be seeing many changes," Ken Macdonald, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said to Daily Mail. "You'll be feeling earthquakes, you'll be seeing volcanoes erupt, but you won't see the ocean intrude in our lifetimes." Even with the long timelines, scientists suggest that the rift is happening quicker than previously thought. Original estimates put a complete split at tens of millions of years from now. "With the continent dividing at a rate of half an inch per year, those estimations have sped up," said Unilad. MacDonald puts the timeline at between one million and five million years. The split will change the world's continental makeup. "Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and some parts of Ethiopia would form a new continent separated by the world's sixth ocean," said Metro. A change this drastic could have major implications for the region's biodiversity and ecosystem. Landlocked nations like Uganda and Zambia would gain coastlines which could influence weather patterns and climate. "This transformation could affect biodiversity, water resources and agricultural practices, posing both challenges and opportunities for the inhabitants of East Africa," said HowStuffWorks. In addition "the gradual separation might influence the continent's geopolitical landscape," and "create new opportunities for trade and communication." A new continent is small potatoes in the context of Earth's geological history. All the continents were once a giant landmass known as Pangea, which then split off into the continents we know today. Only recently, scientists mapped the hidden continent of Zealandia located in the Southern Ocean. Africa's split "will be just another move in this giant geological playbook," said IFL Science. "Whether we as a species will survive for long enough to witness it? Well, that's a different story."
