Ethiopia is slowly tearing toward a new ocean, and geologists have uncovered how the rift is pulling the continent apart from below

While a continent splitting apart might sound like science fiction, geologists say that’s already happening underneath East Africa.A new study has found evidence that shows that pulses of hot, partially molten rock are now rising up from deep inside the Earth's mantle, underneath the Afar region of Ethiopia. Scientists think these pulses of hot mantle material are helping drive the stretching and thinning of the crust, a process that could eventually lead to the formation of a new ocean basin over millions of years.Published in Nature Geoscience, the research was led by scientists from the University of Southampton, along with other international institutions. Their findings suggest that the Afar mantle plume behaves like a geological heartbeat, sending rhythmic waves of molten material up through the Earth.A unique area of the world where continents divideThe research focuses on the Afar region of Ethiopia, one of the most geologically strange places on the planet. Three separate tectonic rifts meet here: the Main Ethiopian Rift, the Red Sea Rift and the Gulf of Aden Rift.According to the Nature Geoscience paper, this gives scientists an extremely rare chance to study the very beginnings of continental breakup. For decades, geologists have theorised about the existence of a mantle plume beneath the area, an upwelling of unusually hot rock from deep within the Earth, but its internal workings have remained poorly understood.The new research suggests the plume is not a uniform column but contains distinct chemical pulses that rise through the mantle.Lead author Dr Emma Watts, now based at Swansea University, said that the mantle underneath Afar is not uniform or stationary, and the pulses are steered by the tectonic plate.Researchers analysed over 130 samples of volcanic rockTo probe what lies beneath the ground, the team collected and analysed more than 130 volcanic rock samples from around the Afar region and the Main Ethiopian Rift. The study says that geochemists then combined this data with complex statistical modelling to understand the composition of both the mantle and the molten material flowing through it.What they found was striking.Repeating chemical patterns were found in the mantle plume, described by researchers as geological bar codes, which appear across the rift system. Scientists believe that these bar codes are evidence that the plume is pulsing rather than flowing. Depending on the tectonic situation, these chemical bands have different spacing. Where the plates are separating more quickly, for instance, along the Red Sea Rift, the pulse appears to be travelling more efficiently.Co-author Professor Tom Gernon of the University of Southampton explained that the chemical striping provides evidence that the plume is pulsing "like a heartbeat", according to the university's announcement of the findings. How could an ocean form in futureThis new finding sheds light on a key scientific question about how continents split and oceans are formed.According to reports, the plate tectonics theory states that the outer shell of the Earth is made up of a collection of moving tectonic plates that push against each other. Where they pull apart, the crust stretches out thin.This stretching has been happening in the Afar for millions of years, and geologists believe it will eventually tear the crust completely. Once the land subsides and splits, ocean water will rush in to form a new sea. Of course, the process unfolds over millions of years, far beyond any human timescale. Researchers, however, say the region offers a rare glimpse into how our oceans, like the Atlantic, might have formed.Earthquake and volcano linksThis latest discovery also highlights the relationship between activity at the Earth's core and what is happening on the surface. The research indicates that the mantle plume interacts closely with the plate above it, and this interaction seems to influence the location of seismic and volcanic activity.The Afar region is already known for its active volcanoes, including the perpetually bubbling lava lake of Erta Ale. According to co-author Derek Keir, understanding the movement of mantle material below the plate can help explain the complex geological processes, including volcanic activity, occurring at the Earth's surface and continental breakup processes, according to ScienceDaily.A closer look at Earth's hidden power sourceAlthough the image of Africa breaking apart is always a headline-grabber, scientists feel that the real implications of this research are deeper, providing greater insight into Earth's interior. The work suggests mantle plumes may be more dynamic and structured than previously recognised.Researchers plan to continue studying the Afar region, and their aim is to understand in much greater detail how the movement of matter deep within the Earth influences activity at the surface.The pulsing beneath Ethiopia is, they say, providing an unprecedented look at how our planet's surface has been shaped over billions of years, and how it is continuing to evolve today.