Far in the north of Ethiopia is the Afar tectonic depression. Here, far from the problems of the white man, and far from the whitest man, the African continent is gradually being divided into two parts. Usually, large geological processes (the formation of rivers, seas and mountains) proceed painfully slowly - but here, in the area near the Horn of Africa, this is happening with staggering speed.
Eruption
Dabbahu volcano broke its eternal slumber in early 2005. The eruption was so powerful that it initiated a whole period of intense seismic activity throughout the region. The earth's crust was covered with cracks, rapidly spreading to the south. Within a few days, the most extensive fissure was formed, the length of which is 60 km. From edge to edge now runs 8 meters, while the depth has dropped by 4 meters.
Rapid growth
Geologists from all over the world gathered in Afar. Over the next few months after the eruption of Dabbahu, the region was covered with hundreds of fissures, the earth sinking immediately to a depth of one hundred meters. Scientists were able to observe firsthand how hot magma rises from the depths of the planet, forming what will eventually become the basalt ocean floor.
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Breakdown history
Thirty million years ago, Africa was one large tectonic plate. Then a gigantic stream of molten magma rose from under the earth's crust and began to dissect the African continental plate. This stream separated the Arabian Peninsula from Africa and created the Red Sea.
Afar tee
The Afar Basin is a tectonic tee. It is the intersection of the Red Sea Rift, the East African Rift and the Aden Ridge. The crossing point is Lake Abba. The basin is the second place in the world (apart from Iceland) where ocean ridges can be explored on land.
The birth of the ocean
The genesis of the ocean begins in plate tectonics. Formation begins with rifting in the earth's crust, which occurs as a result of mantle convection. For several million years, geologists expect the Red Sea to break through the ridges surrounding the basin. For 10 million years, the entire East African rift should be completely filled with water, forming a new sea.