Science
Scientists Discover Superplume Driving Africa’s Continental Split
Scientists believe they may have discovered the reason behind the fragmentation of one of the largest continents on Earth.
The formation of the East African Rift System (EARS), a 2,000-mile rift that passes through Africa’s Great Lakes, has long been a topic of discussion.
The gap is trapped between the Somali and Nubian plates and passes through Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi.
However, because of the effective chemical analysis of volcanic gases, researchers from the University of Glasgow have gathered data that points to the existence of a superplume—a large amount of deep Earth material—beneath East Africa.
In the area, two tectonic plates are believed to be drifting apart; boffins believe this will eventually result in the formation of a new continent that will separate from Africa.
What do scientists currently say, though, and what does all of this actually mean?
So, what is a ‘Superplume’?
The ‘African Superplume’ is a deep thermal anomaly beneath Africa that may contribute to the upward movement of molten rock, resulting in earthquakes and volcanic activity in Africa and other regions. It is the reason why continents split over time, according to scientists.
“The Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) conclude that the hot mantle beneath Kenya originates very deep in the Earth,” the institution stated.
“Their findings are based on high precision mass spectrometry analysis of high temperature gases from a geothermal field in the Kenya Rift Valley.”
How fast are the plates moving from one another?
The plates are separating at a rate of around 0.2 inches annually, which is fantastic news.
In practical terms, it grows at roughly the same rate as your fingernails.
“We have long been interested in how the deep Earth rises to surface, how much is transported, and just what role it plays on forming the large-scale topography of the Earth’s surface,” Professor Fin Stuart, the project’s leader, stated.
“Our research suggests that a giant hot blob of rock from the core-mantle boundary is present beneath East Africa, it is driving the plates apart and propping up the Africa continent so it hundreds of metres higher than normal.”
Scientists are aware of rifting and volcanic activity, but they are unsure if these phenomena are “driven by upwelling hot material from deep in Earth or due to shallow processes.”
When would tectonic separation actually occur?
Experts are aware that a new continent that is separated from Africa may eventually form as a result of the tectonic separation, which will take one to five million years to complete.
“In the human life scale, you won’t be seeing many changes. You’ll be feeling earthquakes, you’ll be seeing volcanoes erupt, but you won’t see the ocean intrude in our lifetimes,” Professor Ken Macdonald of the University of California told the Daily Mail.
Additionally, the paper’s corresponding author, Biying Chen of the University of Edinburgh, reiterated that “these gases from our geothermal wells have provided valuable new insight into the Earth’s deep interior.”
It will enhance our comprehension of “not only the geological forces shaping East Africa but also the fundamental processes which drive the formation of our planet’s surface over millions of years,” according to the expert.
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