This Scientist Studies a Rift That Could Split an Entire Continent

Did you know that continents are still moving and that in a few hundred million years, Earth will look very different?

Scientists studying tectonic plates have discovered how parts of Africa are slowly shifting. Here's what it means. 

Earth's crust is made up of plates that are always moving, and geologists have been tracking this motion for years. Rivers often follow fault lines, cracks in the Earth's surface, making them useful for spotting where the crust is pulling apart.

One of the biggest cracks, called the East African Rift, runs from the Red Sea down through Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. Scientists believe this rift is in its early stages. Over millions of years, it could create new seas and split Africa into separate landmasses.

This process, known as rifting, happens when tectonic plates move apart. As they do, the Earth's crust thins and sinks, creating deep cracks. Folarin Kolawole, a geologist at Columbia University, thinks the East African Rift stretches farther than previously thought.

Kolawole suggests that the Okavango River in Botswana may actually be part of the East African Rift. Unlike most rivers, which flow to the ocean, the Okavango ends in a swampy basin. This unusual behavior hints at underground forces pulling the land apart.

"The continent is literally tearing apart," Kolawole explains. "These massive forces are breaking everything into pieces." His idea is backed by Michael Daly, a geologist from Oxford University, who also believes the rift extends much farther than once thought. They think it may stretch through Botswana and South Africa, reach Namibia, and eventually connect to the Atlantic Ocean.

More evidence comes from Lake Ngami, a dry lake near the Okavango River. Scientists found raised ground with rocky outcrops that might mark where the land could split. One side could break away to form a new island, while the other would remain part of Africa.

These discoveries show how powerful geological forces continue to shape our planet. While it will take millions of years for these changes to happen, the research offers a fascinating glimpse into Earth's distant future.