Africa’s Rift: A Slow Move Toward a New Ocean and New Science
In Ethiopia’s Afar region, a triple-junction rift is slowly pulling Africa apart, providing a rare window into continental rifting as mantle plumes pulse and plates shift at millimeters per year. Scientists study Erta Ale’s lava lake and fossil finds like Paranthropus to understand deep geology, while concluding that a new ocean may form only over millions of years and that the region offers invaluable insights into Africa’s geological history.
