The 60-kilometre split in the desolate Afar region – the result of two volcanic eruptions in September 2005 – has enabled scientists to further examine the Earth's tectonic movements, said a paper published this week in Geophysical Research Letters.
"The significance of the finding is that a huge magnetic deformation can happen within a few days, like in [the] oceans," said lead author Atalay Ayele, a professor at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.
African continent may split in two within millions of years
Posted on Sunday, November 08 2009 @ 14:11 CET by Thomas De MaesschalckScientists discovered volcanic activity may split the African continent in two. A recent geological crack which has appeared in northeastern Ethiopia may lead to the creation of a new ocean within the next couple of million years.
