Africa's New Ocean: A Continent Splits Apart

By Aussiegirl

Whoa Nellie!! Talk about the earth moving under your feet -- the continent of Africa is being split apart and a new ocean is being formed in real time, not geologic time. Mother Nature is in a hurry! This from Spiegel:

Africa's New Ocean: A Continent Splits Apart - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

Normally new rivers, seas and mountains are born in slow motion. The Afar Triangle near the Horn of Africa is another story. A new ocean is forming there with staggering speed -- at least by geological standards. Africa will eventually lose its horn.

Geologist Dereje Ayalew and his colleagues from Addis Ababa University were amazed -- and frightened. They had only just stepped out of their helicopter onto the desert plains of central Ethiopia when the ground began to shake under their feet. The pilot shouted for the scientists to get back to the helicopter. And then it happened: the Earth split open. Crevices began racing toward the researchers like a zipper opening up. After a few seconds, the ground stopped moving, and after they had recovered from their shock, Ayalew and his colleagues realized they had just witnessed history. For the first time ever, human beings were able to witness the first stages in the birth of an ocean.