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Africa's Rift: New Ocean Emerging in One Million Years

1/6/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Africa is on the brink of a monumental transformation as tectonic forces drive the continent apart, paving the way for a new ocean in roughly one million years. The East African Rift, a dramatic fissure from Mozambique to the Red Sea, reveals the relentless divergence of the African and Somali plates at a rate of 0.8 centimeters annually, promising a breathtaking shift in the continent's landscape.

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Story summary

Africa is on the brink of a monumental transformation as tectonic forces drive the continent apart, paving the way for a new ocean in roughly one million years. The East African Rift, a dramatic fissure from Mozambique to the Red Sea, reveals the relentless divergence of the African and Somali plates at a rate of 0.8 centimeters annually, promising a breathtaking shift in the continent's landscape.