Africa is going through a massive breakup thanks to an impending continental separation
The continent is splitting in two, though it will not happen in our lifetimes


Africa is dividing in two, and a new landmass and ocean may form sooner than expected. The change could alter the climate and ecosystem of the region, as well as the way humans live. In the geologic history of Earth, shifting plate tectonics are commonplace, and Africa's impending rift is but another chapter in that story.
The cracks are showing
The Earth's continents are far from constant. Plate tectonics have caused the landmasses to shift over time, and another shift is occurring in the 21st century.
Scientists have known for the past two decades that Africa has been splitting. In 2005, Ethiopia experienced earthquakes that caused the appearance of a 35-mile-long fissure in the desert called the East African Rift. "It marked the start of a long process in which the African plate is splitting into two tectonic plates: the Somali plate and the Nubian plate," said Unilad. Then, in 2018, another crack appeared in Kenya along the rift.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The cracks are "associated with the East African Rift System (EARS)," which stretches "downward for thousands of kilometers through several countries in Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique," said IFL Science. The rift has been widening over time, and along the system there have been varying levels of seismic activity, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science. But "in the human life scale, you won't be seeing many changes," Ken Macdonald, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said to Daily Mail. "You'll be feeling earthquakes, you'll be seeing volcanoes erupt, but you won't see the ocean intrude in our lifetimes."
Even with the long timelines, scientists suggest that the rift is happening quicker than previously thought. Original estimates put a complete split at tens of millions of years from now. "With the continent dividing at a rate of half an inch per year, those estimations have sped up," said Unilad. MacDonald puts the timeline at between one million and five million years.
A whole new world
The split will change the world's continental makeup. "Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and some parts of Ethiopia would form a new continent separated by the world's sixth ocean," said Metro. A change this drastic could have major implications for the region's biodiversity and ecosystem. Landlocked nations like Uganda and Zambia would gain coastlines, which could influence weather patterns and climate. "This transformation could affect biodiversity, water resources and agricultural practices, posing both challenges and opportunities for the inhabitants of East Africa," said HowStuffWorks. In addition, "the gradual separation might influence the continent's geopolitical landscape" and "create new opportunities for trade and communication."
A new continent is small potatoes in the context of Earth's geological history. All the continents were once a giant landmass known as Pangea, which then split off into the continents we know today. Only recently, scientists mapped the hidden continent of Zealandia located in the Southern Ocean. Africa's split "will be just another move in this giant geological playbook," said IFL Science. "Whether we as a species will survive for long enough to witness it? Well, that's a different story."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
-
6 perfect gifts for travel lovers
The Week Recommends The best trip is the one that lives on and on
-
How can you get the maximum Social Security retirement benefit?
the explainer These steps can help boost the Social Security amount you receive
-
Bad news, alpha males. You likely don't actually exist.
Under the radar Most primate communities are egalitarian
-
Scientists and Peter Jackson attempt to bring back an extinct bird — kind of
In the Spotlight Colossal Biosciences was the company behind the 'resurrected' dire wolves
-
Retro tomatoes: a species of the plant is evolving backward
Under the radar Environmental factors may play a role
-
Scientists are the latest 'refugees'
In the spotlight Brain drain to brain gain
-
Bacteria can turn plastic waste into a painkiller
Under the radar The process could be a solution to plastic pollution
-
Scientists want to regrow human limbs. Salamanders could lead the way.
Under the radar Humans may already have the genetic mechanism necessary
-
A potentially mutating bat virus has some scientists worried about the next pandemic
Under the Radar One subgroup of bat merbecovirus has scientists concerned
-
The treasure trove of platinum on the moon
Under the radar This kind of bounty could lead to commercial exploitation