Drying climate accelerates East Africa’s Rift
TL;DR
New research links the shift from humid to dry conditions in East Africa with faster fault movement in the East African Rift, measured at about 0.17 millimeters per year of extra movement on top of the regional 6.35 millimeters per year baseline. The dewatering of lakes after the African Humid Period reduces crustal pressure, while a nearby magma chamber may receive more melt, increasing tectonic activity around Lake Turkana and potentially accelerating continental breakup; scientists are expanding the study to Lake Malawi for broader climate-tectonics insight.
Topics:scienceplanet-earth#climate-change#east-africa#east-african-rift#lake-turkana#planet-earth#tectonics
- A drying climate is making East Africa pull apart faster Live Science
- Scientists at the University of Southampton discover magma pulses beneath Afar that are splitting Africa and creating a new ocean eladelantado.com
- New ocean is forming quicker than scientists expected as Africa breaks apart UNILAD Tech
- Africa is splitting apart: the striking geological phenomenon that will create a new ocean on Earth yourweather.co.uk
- New Ocean Is Being Born As Africa Splits Into Two Continents Newsweek
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