Africa faces a major structural change
Geologists have revealed that the rifting process in East Africa, specifically in the Turkana Fault, has advanced more than previously believed. The Earth's crust at the center of the fault is now approximately only 13 kilometers thick, making it weaker and more susceptible to narrowing. This increases the likelihood of parts of the continent splitting apart and forming a new ocean over millions of years. These processes could lead to the creation of an oceanic basin extending from the Turkana region, with clear indications of ongoing expansion and fracturing in the Afar Depression. Additionally, the study suggests that the reduction in crust thickness has contributed to the preservation of human fossils in the area, linking geological events to human evolutionary history. It is worth noting that such transformations may take several million years to fully unfold.
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