Scientists from the University of Southampton, leading an international team, have made a groundbreaking discovery in Ethiopia. They've found that rhythmic pulses of molten rock from the Earth's mantle are gradually tearing apart the African continent.
This phenomenon is occurring under the Afar region, where a column of hot mantle appears to "beat" rhythmically, pushing magma upwards. This process is influenced by the movement of tectonic plates, which stretch and thin as they separate, eventually breaking to form a new oceanic basin.
The Afar region is unique, as it's where three tectonic rifts converge: the Ethiopian rift, the Red Sea rift, and the Gulf of Aden rift. This research offers a deeper understanding of how the Earth's interior interacts with its surface and how these processes could lead to the formation of a new ocean.