Geologist Christian Rowan of Columbia University said the latest measurements show the rift’s rupture advancing more rapidly than earlier models predicted, with the continental crust in the fault’s centre dropping to as little as 13 km in thickness.
The research focuses on the East African Rift System, where the massive Nubian plate is pulling away from the Somali plate that carries Africa’s eastern coastline. This divergent motion creates a zone of intense stretching and thinning across Kenya and Ethiopia.
Scientists explain that once crustal thickness falls below roughly 15 km, the rift enters a “necking” stage. In this phase, the lithosphere becomes so attenuated that full continental separation becomes inevitable.
When the split is complete, water from the Indian Ocean is expected to flood the rift, forming a new ocean floor along the separation line and effectively carving a new ocean basin into the continent.
The study not only documents the accelerated thinning but also outlines a forthcoming investigation into how these geological changes may affect fossil preservation in the region, underscoring the East African Rift’s status as one of the planet’s most active continental rifting zones.
If the current rate of deformation continues, the reshaping of Africa’s map could occur within a few million years, a timescale that is dramatically shorter than previous scientific estimates.