AN EVOLVING OCEAN

Why in News?

In 2020, a study revealed that the gradual separation of the African continent is leading to the formation of a new ocean basin.

The division of the continent is connected to the East African Rift (also called the Great Rift Valley), a crack that stretches 56 kilometres and appeared in the desert of Ethiopia in 2005, triggering the formation of a new sea.

What are the Factors Responsible for Africa’s Rifting Plates?

Factor:

The three plates — the Nubian African Plate, Somalian African Plate and Arabian Plate — are separating at different speeds.

The Arabian Plate is moving away from Africa at a rate of about an inch per year, while the two African plates are separating even slower, between half an inch to 0.2 inches per year.

In the past 30 million years, the Arabian Plate has been gradually moving away from Africa, which has already led to the creation of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.