Since the moment the planet Earth was born, it has been undergoing constant changes. A proof of this is that, when all continents were connected by land, they formed one (Pangea) and, currently, the scenario is completely different. Today, we have six continents and five oceans, but the number of oceans could increase. This is because there is a possibility that a new ocean in Africa will take shape due to a curious phenomenon in effect on the continent.
New ocean may emerge on the African continent
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Africa is bathed by two oceans; the eastern part is bathed by the Indian Ocean, and the west by the Atlantic. The continent has 54 countries, 15 of which do not have access to the sea, but in the distant future, this may change due to a process of division of the continent.
The African continent is splitting apart
In 2005, a suspicious crack appeared in the deserts of Ethiopia, where many believed it was the result of a storm. However, today, what was once a simple crack is now an incredible 56 km long, stretching from Somalia (in the Horn of Africa) to west-central Zimbabwe (East Africa).
The long hole lies at the boundary of three tectonic plates: the tectonics of Arabia, the Somali tectonic plate and the Nubian tectonic plate. However, the plates are in divergent motion, undergoing a process of separation every year, moving by millimeters every 365 days.
Formation of new ocean in Africa
The formation of the crack aroused curiosity and quickly became the subject of studies. In them, scientists claim that there is the possibility of an ocean coming to life through this process of separation from the continent. According to the researchers, two large bodies of water will flow through the rift, forming a new ocean. The first is the Gulf of Aden, located between Somalia and Yemen. The other is the famous Red Sea, the sea that separates Africa from the Middle East (Asia).