New Ocean in Africa: Science Debunks Sudden Appearance Myth
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Africa’s Great Rift Valley: A New Ocean in the Making?
spectacular images of giant fissures in Africa on social media herald the imminent birth of a new ocean. If the phenomenon is very real,our fact-checking shows that the scientific reality is more nuanced and plays out on a very different time scale from that described online.
Soon a new ocean in Africa? True or false / FastCheck / 2 min. / Friday at 12:28
The vision of an African continent tearing itself apart to make way for a new ocean is a powerful image that captures the imagination. On social networks, viral videos and sensational posts show gaping faults, sometimes even flooded, suggesting a rapid and spectacular change. However, if Africa is indeed in the process of separating, science invites us to consider a more patient and complex understanding of this geological phenomenon.
A story of millions of years
The Great East African Rift,this immense fracture which extends over 4,000 kilometers from Ethiopia to Mozambique,is not new. It has been forming for around 30 million years, and the first research on this rift system dates back