Imagine waking up one day to find your backyard has turned into a beach. For some landlocked African countries, this could become a reality… in about 5 to 10 million years.
Yes, you read that right. Africa is literally splitting in two, and it’s happening right under our feet!
The Great Rift Valley
Back in 2018, a massive crack appeared in Kenya, sparking wild theories and scientific debates.
Was it the apocalypse? Alien invasion?
Turns out, it was just good old Mother Earth doing her thing. This crack was our first real glimpse of a process that’s been happening for millions of years.
Simon Kuestenmacher, a geographer and demographer based in Melbourne, shared a map to show what Africa would look like 10 million years in the future.
He explained that there “will be a lovely new island chain east of Madagascar,” and a rift valley in Eastern Africa.Â
Pangea’s revenge: Continents just can’t sit still
Remember Pangea from your school days?
That massive supercontinent that existed about 200 million years ago?
Well, ever since it broke up, the continents have been playing a very slow game of musical chairs. Africa, it seems, is ready to join the party.
At some point in the future, the Eastern African Rift system will open wide enough for the ocean to rush. Then, according to Accuweather, millions of years later, Africa will split into two continents.
According to the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States, recent geological surveys and satellite imagery have provided compelling evidence for the slow but steady split.
“These observations confirm the active splitting of the continent, as the East African Rift gradually widens,” the IOC says.
Beaches for Zambia and Uganda
Scientists believe that the African tectonic plate is slowly breaking in two along the East African Rift System. Think of it as a giant zipper slowly opening up the continent.
This ‘zipper’ stretches over 3,000 kilometers from the Gulf of Aden in the north towards Zimbabwe in the south.
Here’s where it gets really interesting.
If this split continues (and we’re talking millions of years here), some landlocked countries like Zambia and Uganda might find themselves with prime beachfront property!
The ocean cometh
According to LucĂa PĂ©rez DĂaz, a researcher at Royal Holloway University of London, as this rift reaches the coast, the ocean will begin to flood in.
It’s like nature’s version of the parting of the Red Sea, except in super slow motion and in reverse.
While some scientists argue it’s all about plate tectonics, others suggest soil erosion might be the culprit.
But why choose? DĂaz thinks it could be a bit of both – a geological tag team, if you will.
Restless Earth
This splitting of Africa gives us a rare, real-time look at how our planet reshapes itself.
It’s a reminder that Earth is not just a rock floating in space, but a dynamic, ever-changing ball of surprises.
So, while we won’t be booking beach houses in Zambia anytime soon, it’s fascinating to think that future generations might.
In the meantime, geologists around the world are watching Africa with bated breath, waiting to see what this restless continent will do next.
Who knew geology could be this exciting?
