Part of Africa is divided apart and can create a whole new sea

Earth may eventually have a New sea.

Tectonic flat movement under a part of northern Africa could draw the area currently Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea away from the rest of the continent. This would then allow the Indian Ocean to float in, further separate the land masses and create a new large river per researcher with US Geological Survey.

However, this does not mean that a new water mass will be formed at any time soon: if the new sea is formed, researchers predict that it will probably happen in one million to 20 million years.

Why does this happen in northern Africa, especially?

An active continental rift zone is currently found in what is called the East African Rift system, where what is called the Somali plate withdraws from the rest of the continent, known as the Nubian plate. Both plates also switch away from the Arabian plate in the north, according to London Geographical Society.

Research indicates that the rifts are pulled apart by magma deeply within the earth’s surface, and that some parts of the gap separate as much as 0.3 inches per year, according to USA today.

Tectonic flat movement is responsible for a wide range of geographical features on earth. Plates that pull apart creates phenomena as volcanoesgeysers and certain types of valleys.

At the same time, plates that gradually crash in each other create mountain ranges – of which many continue to grow during the year. Plattectonics are believed to be responsible for phenomena such as the Himalayan mountain range, as well as the famous San Andreas error in California.

For northern Africa specifically, flat tectonic movement currently means an increase in earthquakes and volcanic activity.

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Last time a new sea was formally identified was 2021, when the National Geographic Society officially recognized The water around Antarctica like the southern sea, separately and differs from nearby watercourses. Many researchers around the world had already considered the area as a clear body for decades, but recognition from National Geographic led to more widespread acceptance.