A miles-long crack has opened in Africa — and it could literally split the continent in two
Thomas Mukoya/Reuters
- A split has appeared in Kenya's Rift Valley following heavy rain and earth tremors. This is caused by the fragmentation of the African plate.
- Two plates that were formerly part of the African plate are moving away from each other at the relatively slow rate of 1.9 — 6.9 millimetres per year.
- However, the visible impact of the separation on the earth's surface happened quickly — in a matter of days.
- Geological surveys need to be carried out in order to prevent future fissures from threatening the homes and lives of those living nearby.
A miles-long fissure has opened in Kenya's Rift Valley. The split, which first appeared in late March following weeks of heavy rain and tremors and has continued to expand since, called attention to a longer-term, larger-scale geological phenomenon that's imperceptible until it isn't: Africa is splitting in two.
Scientists haven't yet reached a consensus on the exact mechanics of continental break-ups, but the fact that it's happening here isn't new or unexpected. Tectonic plates typically "glide" very, very slowly over the asthenosphere, the upper layer of the Earth's mantle, most likely due to convection currents and forces acting at plate boundaries. But under certain conditions, those same forces can lead to a rupture, and ultimately to entirely new breaks in the plates.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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