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Earth’s Crust Is Tearing Open in Africa, and It Could Form a New Ocean
- Scientists report the Turkana Rift crust is thinner at the center, signaling advanced rifting toward continental breakup.
- The East African Rift System is where the African and Somali plates are moving apart at roughly 4.7 mm per year.
- Researchers say necking weakens the crust and promotes continued rifting, potentially leading to complete continental split.
- The study suggests necking began after widespread volcanic eruptions about four million years ago and could take millions more years to oceanize.
- The Turkana Rift is the first known active continental rift currently undergoing necking, offering a rare real-time view of a critical tectonic phase.
- The crustal thinning may help preserve fossils by creating conditions favorable for deposition and preservation.
- The findings challenge traditional ideas of how continents break apart and offer a front-row view of a major tectonic process.
- The study links tectonic evolution to climate and environments, aiding understanding of past and future Earth systems.
- The Turkana Rift has yielded more than 1,200 hominin fossils over the past 4 million years, highlighting its paleoanthropological significance.
- The research involved seismic data gathered with industry partners and collaboration with the Turkana Basin Institute.
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