ONE DAY THIS COULD BE THE SAHARA.... (PHOTO: WIERDVIS)
Africa is about to tear in two and create a new ocean. Ok that's a bit of an exaggeration, it's not going to tear anytime soon. But there's a reasonable chance it could split in a million or so years, following the appearence of a crack in the earth in Ethiopia after an earthquake last september. Geologists from Oxford University believe that the crack could eventually widen to touch the east and west coasts of Africa, letting water in and creating a new sea.
Despite scientists getting all worked up, at the moment doesn't seem that impressive. It's only 8m wide, and it doesn't look so different from cracks that often appear after earthquakes. But all the interesting stuff is going on beneath the surface, and it's only now that we've got sophisticated imaging technology that we can see what's happening beneath our feet. Apparently, some of the tectonic plates that Africa sits on are moving apart, causing the earth's crust to stretch and thin, causing magma to rise up and create what will become new ocean floor.
But what's really impressive is that so far 2.5 cubic km of magma has flowed up into the rift beneath the crack. That's enough to cover the area within London's M25 motorway with rock 1m deep. Now I'm impressed.
More from The Times here, and BBC News here.
Maybe they should get these people in to fix the roads!
Posted by: Ithika | July 19, 2006 at 06:06 PM
Just because the crack is in Ethiopia doesn't make it Africa's fault. It's the whole planet's fault.
Posted by: MT | July 19, 2006 at 08:35 PM
Did I say fault? I didn't say fault. No mention of fault. But if anyone is at fault, it IS the whole planet's fault. How dare it have tectonic plates floating on a sea of molten rock! Outrageous.
Posted by: Katie | July 20, 2006 at 01:45 AM
Unless you were making a pun about faults (a la fault lines) and I totally didn't get it...
Posted by: Katie | July 20, 2006 at 10:12 AM
Has MT ever had an unpunny comment? Tee hee....
Posted by: sara | July 20, 2006 at 03:01 PM
Too true. Oh well.
Posted by: Katie | July 20, 2006 at 03:25 PM
It's puns _and_ cracks I always include. I stole the "fault" pun from T-shirts you can see people wearing around Santa Cruz, so I figured you all knew it. Didn't mean to be clever.
Posted by: MT | July 21, 2006 at 12:07 AM
MT please never stop punning. I just need to switch my brain to MT-mode and then I'll get it next time! Dur.
Posted by: Katie | July 21, 2006 at 03:58 PM