Researchers caution that the African continent is separating at an accelerated rate than what was previously estimated.
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A researcher in Santa Barbara stated to that this event is expected to occur within a timeframe of one to five million years.
and continent on Earth.
"The Indian Ocean might flood the area, which is currently the East African Rift Valley," Macdonald said.
It was pointed out that the new ocean could reach a considerable depth, possibly rivaling that of the Atlantic, should water continue to pour into the region.
The crack extends through Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, and a significant portion of Ethiopia, which the professor described as emerging into a new continent called the 'Nubian continent.'
While the three parts are separating from each other at an extreme slow pace, Macdonald stated that it is significant, considering the vast extent of Africa.
On the human lifespan scale, we can anticipate remaining relatively unchanged. We will experience tremors caused by earthquakes and witness volcanic eruptions, but we will not observe the sea encroaching on our world during our lifetime.
The separation originates from the East African Rift System, a fault line that is approximately 3,200 kilometers long and is estimated to have developed at least 22 million years ago where the continent's Great Lakes basin is located.
This area has two moving tectonic plates, known as the Somali and Nubian plates, that are currently diverging from each other.
Our planet is made up of several large tectonic plates that move, but the reasons behind this movement are still not fully understood.
Researchers have a theory that the mechanism could be slow, circular movements of partially molten rock caused by ascending heat from Earth's core.
The movement of the tectonic plates is what's happening in the East African Rift System.
We are observing particularly harsh conditions on Jupiter's moon, Io, where tectonic movement and volcanic activity are creating ground instability and frequent earthquakes.
Recently, the most significant advancements have been in precisely tracing the paths of this fault line's branches.
'The northern section was fairly well mapped, extending through Djibouti into Kenya, but moving south from then on, people had a very limited understanding.'
Recent research has employed the use of sensors including satellite gravity data and seismic scans to gain insight into the happenings beneath the earth's surface.
Former NASA and Space Force consultant Alexandra Doten explained on her Astro Alexandra Instagram channel, 'Eastern Africa is situated on the Somalia plate.
The line along the border is the African Great Lakes. These are among some of the largest bodies of water on Earth. This constitutes 25 percent of all of the planet's unfrozen surface freshwater, and they already harbor approximately 10 percent of all Earth's fish species.
'The lakes formed due to Eastern Africa's separation from the rest of the continent. The Somali plate is persistently moving eastward, forming a colossal rift valley in this area, which continues to expand.'
In the future, Eastern Africa will evolve into a distinct new continent, geographically isolated from the rest of Africa by a newly formed ocean.
Researchers previously assumed that such a transition would occur ten million years from now, but Macdonald indicates that the split may take place between one to five million years.
A study released in 2024 in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science pointed out that various regions of the East African Rift System exhibit diverse levels of volcanic activity due to the secession.
"With its attendant structures, the Uganda, Tanzania, East Africa, and South Africa Cratons feature shallow high-density zones beneath thinner, low-density zones, which are believed to arise from deeper mantle material, suggesting partial melting at the bottom and thinner lithosphere beneath," the researchers stated.
Cracks also appeared in Kenya in 2018 following intense rainfall, with some residents stating that the ground trembled at the time.
Scientists have proposed that these "cracks" will continue to develop as the two plates move apart - with Madagascar potentially dividing into two distinct island masses.
In a 2020 study by Virginia Tech, researchers proposed that new oceans would initially emerge in the northern region of the Rift.
Department of Geosciences professor Sarah Stamps stated, "'The rate of extension is fastest in the north, so we'll see new oceans forming there first.'"
Research has previously shown that the extension is primarily localized in narrow regions surrounding microplates that move independently of larger tectonic plates.