Mysterious deep Earth ‘heartbeat' pulsing beneath Africa will form NEW ocean as it splits continent in two
A NEW ocean is forming beneath Ethiopia as a "heartbeat"-like pulse deep below the Earth's surface splits the African continent in two, according to scientists.
While a new ocean will eventually give six countries a new coastline, neither you nor I will ever be able to swim in its waters.
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An international research team, led by Earth scientists at the University of Southampton, have discovered rhythmic surges of molten mantle rock rising from deep within the Earth.
It is bubbling up beneath Africa - and its pulses are gradually tearing the continent apart, starting in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
The Afar region is a rare place on Earth where three tectonic rifts converge: the Main Ethiopian Rift, the Red Sea Rift, and the Gulf of Aden Rift.
Scientists previously thought Africa's tectonic plates, which collided to form large mountains and pulled apart to create vast basins millions of years ago, were simply moving apart again.
However, a study in May suggested that intense volcanic activity deep underground may be fuelling the divide.
Little was known about the hot upwelling of mantle and how it behaves beneath rifting tectonic plates - until now.
The latest research, published in Nature Geoscience today, revealed that the giant fiery plume pulses like a "heartbeat" and is repeatedly pushing against the tectonic plate above it.
When the tectonic plate eventually ruptures from the pressure, the continent will divide and a new ocean will flood in.
"We found that the mantle beneath Afar is not uniform or stationary – it pulses, and these pulses carry distinct chemical signatures," lead author Dr Emma Watts, who conducted the research at the University of Southampton, said in a statement.
Watts, who is now based at Swansea University, added: "These ascending pulses of partially molten mantle are channelled by the rifting plates above.
Shocking moment 1,000ft fiery lava jet erupts in 6-hour volcano frenzy as scientists warn of wind spreading toxic gas
"That's important for how we think about the interaction between Earth's interior and its surface."
The team collected over 130 volcanic rock samples from across the Afar region and the Main Ethiopian Rift to piece together the structure of the deep Earth that is splitting.
These pulses appear to behave differently depending on the thickness of the plate, and how fast it's pulling apart.
Professor Tom Gernon, a co-author of the study
Researchers found that the pattern of the rhythmic pulse is dictated by the tectonic plate it bubbles beneath - such as how the plate moves, or how thick it is.
Professor Tom Gernon, a co-author of the study, said: "The chemical striping suggests the plume is pulsing, like a heartbeat.
"These pulses appear to behave differently depending on the thickness of the plate, and how fast it's pulling apart.
"In faster-spreading rifts like the Red Sea, the pulses travel more efficiently and regularly like a pulse through a narrow artery."
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Associate professor Dr Derek Keir, another co-author of the study, said the findings had "profound implications" for how scientists understand volcanoes, earthquake activity, and the process of continental breakup.
'The work shows that deep mantle upwellings can flow beneath the base of tectonic plates and help to focus volcanic activity to where the tectonic plate is thinnest," he added.
The East African Rift System (EARS) is the largest active continental rift system on Earth.
It is in the process of ripping through around 2,175miles (3,500km) of Africa.
In January, Ken Macdonald, a professor at the University of California, warned the continent was splitting at a faster rate than expected.
Somalia and parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania will form a distinct continent, accompanied by a fresh coastline.
The new ocean could become as deep as the Atlantic if waters continue to flow into the area, Macdonald added.
While cracks are already appearing along the rift, it is not expected to fully rupture for another several million years.
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