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Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
'Pulsing, like a heartbeat': Rhythmic mantle plume rising beneath Ethiopia is creating a new ocean
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Rhythmic pulses of molten rock are rising beneath eastern Africa, according to a new study. The pulsing plume of hot mantle beneath Ethiopia, driven by plate tectonics, is slowly pulling the region apart and forming a new ocean near the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, researchers reported June 25 in the journal Nature Geoscience. "We have found that the evolution of deep mantle upwellings is intimately tied to the motion of the plates above," Derek Keir, an Earth scientist at the University of Southampton and the University of Florence, said in a statement. "This has profound implications for how we interpret surface volcanism, earthquake activity, and the process of continental breakup." The mantle plume lies under Ethiopia's Afar region, at the intersection of three tectonic plates. All of the rifts between these plates are different ages, and they are changing at different rates; some are in the process of forming new oceans, while others are pulling apart the crust beneath Africa. But the structure and motion of the plume, as well as the forces driving these movements, aren't well understood. To investigate the structure of the crust and the mantle plume beneath it, the scientists studied the chemical compositions of more than 130 samples of volcanic rocks from the Afar region. These samples provided information about the depth and composition of melted rock beneath the surface. The team also used computer models to determine how the region might respond to different kinds of mantle plumes and compared those responses to existing geological data. A single mantle plume lies beneath all three rifts, the researchers found, but its chemical composition is not uniform. Further, the molten rock surges upward rhythmically, leaving behind distinct chemical signatures. "The chemical striping suggests the plume is pulsing, like a heartbeat," Tom Gernon, an Earth scientist at the University of Southampton, said in the statement. "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." RELATED STORIES —Study reveals 'flawed argument' in debate over when plate tectonics began —There's a 'ghost' plume lurking beneath the Middle East — and it might explain how India wound up where it is today —Africa is being torn apart by a 'superplume' of hot rock from deep within Earth, study suggests Varying spacing between the stripes in different rifts suggests that the mantle plume responds differently depending on the tectonic plates above. In places where the lithosphere — the crust and upper mantle — is thicker, the mantle flow is impeded, and the striping is more condensed. Under a thinner lithosphere, the stripes are more spread out. The findings could help scientists understand volcanic activity at the surface. "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," Keir said in the statement. Future work in the Afar region could involve investigating the rate of mantle flow beneath the various plates, Keir added.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Africa is tearing in HALF: Scientists detect deep Earth pulses beneath Ethiopia - in ominous sign that the entire continent could rupture
We know that all of the world's continents are constantly moving. But one of them has already begun a dramatic transformation. Scientists say a massive crack has started ripping through Africa, from the north east to the south. The experts uncovered evidence of rhythmic surges of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth's surface, beneath Ethiopia. These pulses are gradually tearing the continent apart and forming a new ocean – although it's happening so slowly it's basically imperceptible. 'The split will eventually go all the way down Africa,' lead author Dr Emma Watts, a geochemist at Swansea University, told MailOnline. 'It has already begun and is happening now but at a slow rate – 5-16 mm per year – in the north of the rift. 'Regarding timescales, this process of Africa being torn apart will take several million years before it is completed.' Dr Watts and colleagues point to the Gulf of Aden, a relatively narrow body of water separating Africa in the south and Yemen in the north. Like a small tear in a piece of clothing, the gradual separation event could start at the Gulf of Aden and gradually spread downwards. As it does so, it would split through the middle of enormous bodies of water in East Africa, such as Lake Malawi and Lake Turkana. By the time the split is complete, several million years from now, Africa would be made up of two landmasses. There would be the larger landmass in the west featuring most of the 54 modern-day African countries, such as Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana and Nambia. Meanwhile, the smaller landmass to the east will include Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and a large portion of Ethiopia. 'The smaller part that breaks away towards the east will be approximately 1 million square miles in area,' Dr Watts told MailOnline. 'And the remaining larger landmass will be just over 10 million square miles.' The layers of Earth Crust: To a depth of up to 43 miles (70km), this is the outermost layer of the Earth, covering both ocean and land areas. Mantle: Going down to 1,795 miles (2,890km) with the lower mantle, this is the planet's thickest layer and made of silicate rocks richer in iron and magnesium than the crust overhead. Outer core: Running to a depth of 3,200 miles (5,150km), this region is made of liquid iron and nickel with trace lighter elements. Inner core: Going down to a depth of 3,958 miles (6,370km) at the very centre of Earth, this region is thought to be made of solid iron and nickel. For the study, the team collected more than 130 volcanic rock samples from across the Afar region. In this region, three tectonic plates converge (the Main Ethiopian Rift, the Red Sea Rift and the Gulf of Aden Rift), making it a hotbed of volcanic activity. The experts used these samples, plus existing data and advanced statistical modelling, to investigate the structure of the Earth's crust and the mantle below it. The mantle, the planet's thickest layer, is predominantly a solid rock but behaves like a viscous fluid. 'We found that the mantle beneath Afar is not uniform or stationary – it pulses,' said Dr Watts. 'These ascending pulses of partially molten mantle are channelled by the rifting plates above.' Over millions of years, as tectonic plates are pulled apart at rift zones like Afar, they stretch and thin – almost like soft plasticine – until they rupture, marking the birth of a new ocean. Geologists have long suspected that a hot upwelling of mantle, but until now, little was known about the structure of this upwelling, or how it behaves beneath rifting plates. The team say the pulses appear to behave differently depending on the thickness of the plate, and how fast it's pulling apart. The findings, published in Nature Geoscience, show that the mantle plume beneath the Afar region is not static, but dynamic and responsive to the tectonic plate above it. 'We have found that the evolution of deep mantle upwellings is intimately tied to the motion of the plates above,' said co-author Dr Derek Keir, associate professor in earth science at the University of Southampton and the University of Florence. 'This has profound implications for how we interpret surface volcanism, 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. 'Follow on research includes understanding how and at what rate mantle flow occurs beneath plates.' The Earth is moving under our feet: Tectonic plates move through the mantle and produce Earthquakes as they scrape against each other Tectonic plates are composed of Earth's crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle. Below is the asthenosphere: the warm, viscous conveyor belt of rock on which tectonic plates ride. Earthquakes typically occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates, where one plate dips below another, thrusts another upward, or where plate edges scrape alongside each other. Earthquakes rarely occur in the middle of plates, but they can happen when ancient faults or rifts far below the surface reactivate.
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
EU naval mission raises assessment to ‘severe' for vessels with US, Israeli interests
The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, on Sunday raised its assessment to 'severe' for vessels with US and Israeli interests transiting through the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab strait and the Gulf of Aden, according to a statement.
Khaleej Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
EU naval mission raises assessment to 'severe' for vessels with US, Israeli interests
[Editor's Note: Follow our live blog for real-time updates on the latest developments in the Israel-Iran conflict.] The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, on Sunday raised its assessment to "severe" for vessels with US and Israeli interests transiting through the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab strait and the Gulf of Aden, according to a statement. The assessment comes amid a worsening regional crisis after the US struck Iranian nuclear sites.
Al Arabiya
13-06-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Greece, UK urge ships to avoid Red Sea after Israeli attacks on Iran
Greece and Britain have advised their merchant shipping fleets to avoid sailing through the Gulf of Aden and to log all voyages through the Strait of Hormuz after Israel's large-scale attacks on Iran on Friday, documents seen by Reuters showed. Iran has in the past threatened to close the critical Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure. Analysts have said that any closure of the Strait could restrict trade and impact global oil prices. Greek ship owners were urged to send details of their vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz to Greece's maritime ministry, according to one of the documents issued by Greece's shipping association, which was sent on Friday. 'Due to developments in the Middle East and the escalation of military actions in the wider region, the (Greek) Ministry of Shipping ... urgently calls on shipping companies to send ... the details of Greek-owned ships that are sailing in the maritime area of the Strait of Hormuz,' the document said. All UK-flagged vessels, which include the Gibraltar, Bermuda and Isle of Man 'red ensign' registries, were advised to avoid sailing through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a separate document issued by the UK's transport ministry said. If transiting these areas, vessels must adhere to their highest level of security measures and limit the number of crew on deck during transits, said the advisory, seen by Reuters. 'We have reports that more ship owners are now exercising extra caution and are opting to stay away from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf,' said Jakob Larsen, chief safety & security officer with shipping association BIMCO. If the United States is perceived to be involved in any attacks, 'the risk of escalation increases significantly', Larsen said. 'Such an escalation could include missile attacks on ships or laying of sea mines in the Strait (of Hormuz).' The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, is continuing operations as normal but is monitoring developments in the region, an Aspides official told Reuters. '... if needed we will shift our strategy accordingly,' the official said. In Friday's attacks, Israel said it had targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders during the start of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iran denies having any such plan.
