East Africa Rift Thins Fast, Foreshadowing a New Ocean
New seismic data show the Turkana Rift in East Africa has thinned to about 13 km in places and is widening at roughly 4.7 mm/year, indicating advanced necking of the crust and weakening that could eventually lead to continental breakup and the formation of a new ocean—though this would occur over millions of years. The finding helps explain the region’s deep basins and rich fossil record, tying tectonic activity to the Turkana Basin’s unique paleoanthropological significance.
