A significant geological phenomenon is underway in the Horn of Africa, encompassing Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia: the gradual formation of a new ocean. This process, known as tectonic rifting, involves the stretching of the Earth's crust, leading to fractures and fissures.
The Afar Depression (Afar Triangle) is a key area where the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian tectonic plates meet, creating geological instability and a gradual opening in the Earth's crust. Water from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is seeping into these fissures as the plates move apart, potentially leading to the formation of a new ocean. Scientists estimate this process could complete in as little as a year, redefining Africa's map and impacting ecosystems and local communities.