Is the African continent splitting? In the Turkana Rift, the crust thinned to 13 kilometres.
It has been determined that a critical stage has been reached in the tectonic rifting ongoing in the east of the African continent. In the Turkana Rift, which stretches across Kenya and Ethiopia, the Earth's crust has thinned to 13 kilometres, and it is said that the region could become a new ocean within millions of years.
A new geological study has revealed that the tectonic rifting on the African continent has progressed to a stage further than previously thought. In a review of the Turkana Rift stretching across Kenya and Ethiopia by scientists from Columbia University in the United States, it was determined that the Earth's crust is only 13 kilometres thick in some areas.
Continental Crust Approaches Critical Threshold
Researchers analyzed the structure of the Earth's crust by examining seismic data obtained from the region. They found that the crustal thickness, which can exceed 35 kilometres around fault lines, thins to as little as 13 kilometres at the centre of the rift.
According to geologist Christian Rowan of Columbia University, a crustal thickness falling below 15 kilometres signals an advanced stage of continental rifting. As the crust thins, the region's resistance decreases, further accelerating the rifting process.
A New Ocean May Form
According to the study, when the process is complete, the Nubian and Somali plates will separate from one another. Magma will fill the large basin that forms from this rifting, and over time a new seafloor is expected to emerge.
It is stated that a new ocean could form in eastern Africa as a result of the long geological process ending with the arrival of Indian Ocean waters to this region.
The process began millions of years ago.
Scientists determined that the thinning of the crust in the Turkana Rift began approximately 4 million years ago. It was stated that the dense sedimentary accumulation in the area has yielded important results for the study of human history.
The natural conditions created by the sediments helped preserve fossils of early humans for millions of years. Researchers said that the region may not be the sole center of human evolution, but it serves as an exceptionally favorable geological archive for fossil preservation.
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