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No Horn for Africa

I'm no geologist, but this is just plain interesting. The Afar triangle near the Horn of Africa is sinking, and there is a new ocean forming there. Crevices have been appearing in the area since September 2005. Some of the crevices are as deep as 328 feet, and scientists say it will become the floor of the new ocean.

Beneath the African countries of Ethiopia, Eriteria and Djibouti lies a meeting point of three tectonic plates. Two of these plates, the African and Arabian plates, are drifting apart on two fault lines at a rate of 1 cm per year. The third major crevice's two branches are moving at 1 mm per year.

It's almost like something out of an Indiana Jones movie.

They had only just stepped out of their helicopter onto the desert plains of central Ethiopia when the ground began to shake under their feet. The pilot shouted for the scientists to get back to the helicopter. And then it happened: the Earth split open. Crevices began racing toward the researchers like a zipper opening up. After a few seconds, the ground stopped moving, and after they had recovered from their shock, Ayalew and his colleagues realized they had just witnessed history. For the first time ever, human beings were able to witness the first stages in the birth of an ocean.

This is a historic event, and I would love to go there before it becomes a new ocean. However, I've got about 10 million years, so I've got a little bit of time.

Posted by yakuza at March 16, 2006 10:58 AM | TrackBack