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Large Crack in East African Rift is Evidence of Continent Splitting in Two (pbs.org)
A large crack, stretching several miles, made a sudden appearance recently in south-western Kenya. The tear emerged after heavy rains caused havoc in the nation last month, which also saw neighborhood get flooded and major highways closing off. The downpour also exposed a fault line that geologists now say is evidence that the African continent will split into two over the next tens of millions of years. From a report: The Earth is an ever-changing planet, even though in some respects change might be almost unnoticeable to us. Plate tectonics is a good example of this. But every now and again something dramatic happens and leads to renewed questions about the African continent splitting in two. The Earth's lithosphere (formed by the crust and the upper part of the mantle) is broken up into a number of tectonic plates. These plates are not static, but move relative to each other at varying speeds, "gliding" over a viscous asthenosphere.
[...] The East African Rift Valley stretches over 3,000km from the Gulf of Aden in the north towards Zimbabwe in the south, splitting the African plate into two unequal parts: the Somali and Nubian plates. Activity along the eastern branch of the rift valley, running along Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, became evident when the large crack suddenly appeared in south-western Kenya. When the lithosphere is subject to a horizontal extensional force it will stretch, becoming thinner. Eventually, it will rupture, leading to the formation of a rift valley. This process is accompanied by surface manifestations along the rift valley in the form of volcanism and seismic activity. Rifts are the initial stage of a continental break-up and, if successful, can lead to the formation of a new ocean basin.
[...] The East African Rift Valley stretches over 3,000km from the Gulf of Aden in the north towards Zimbabwe in the south, splitting the African plate into two unequal parts: the Somali and Nubian plates. Activity along the eastern branch of the rift valley, running along Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, became evident when the large crack suddenly appeared in south-western Kenya. When the lithosphere is subject to a horizontal extensional force it will stretch, becoming thinner. Eventually, it will rupture, leading to the formation of a rift valley. This process is accompanied by surface manifestations along the rift valley in the form of volcanism and seismic activity. Rifts are the initial stage of a continental break-up and, if successful, can lead to the formation of a new ocean basin.
yes, that's what we need more of her on Slashdot, ridiculous partisan trolling.
East or West Mexico? It may spit also.
Seriously, though, politicians on all sides routinely blame each other for every bad thing that happens and take credit for the good things. Advice: don't get your "news" from politicians, period.
Table-ized A.I.
Smaller landmasses surrounded by water tend to be nicer places to live than huge continents. For example, much of Pangaea's interior was a desert wasteland.
It's funny how these are slow geologic process taking millions of years yet there's an article reporting on it like it was "suddenly" new news or unexpected. A few more cracks might open in our lifetime but don't expect to see the "parting or the red sea" type movement in our lifetime. Most geological processes are super slow.
Seems I've heard of the East African Rift Valley for, like, decades. Only 'news' here is rain washed sediment away and people could see a fault. The entire rift is a fault zone.
My childhood dream of the earth opening up and swallowing bullies is actually possible!
It's just Gaia getting ready to fart.
rewriting history since 2109
Google "expanding earth" for books, videos, animations, lectures and more info.
Let me guess; the extra comes from the back ends of the turtles that go all the way down?
Sounds like Trump has figured out how to stop the sea level rise then. Explosives to open the rift to the sea and all that extra water from the glaciers makes a nice new sea.
There was I thinking that Rift Valley was just a figurative name.
Behold two retards, locked in the retard mating ritual.
Jokes apart, that's the same rift that saw the rising of the Homo Sapiens. It is our ancestral cradle.
it truly is an elegant display, the retard mating ritual.
nature is beautiful.
or, you COULD walk very slowly!
To crack!
Although pretty much anyone who's read much about the Rift Valley knows that Africa is splitting there.
"You'll get nothing, and you'll like it!"
The only new thing is the crack. The fact that Africa is splitting up along the rift valley has been known for decades - I learnt about it in a first year geology lecture as an undergrad.
Shut up and enjoy your crumbs...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
DOE SecretaryPruitt said science has nothing to do with the rift, claims plate tectonics is unproven science
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
https://africa-arabia-plate.we...
[Zec 14:4 KJV] 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, [and there shall be] a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
https://discussions.godandscie...
https://www.tomorrowsworld.org...
https://www.blueletterbible.or...
http://www.biblesearchers.com/...
And, as a bonus, I'll leave this for the math nerds to dissect... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... http://www.telusplanet.net/pub...
When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law he tore his robes.2Kings22:11
Don't trust it? Don't pay attention to it. Warn others of it.
Sounds like you're on the right track.
There's no time like the present. Well, the past used to be.