Africa’s geological future may be reshaped dramatically—but not anytime soon. Scientists studying tectonic activity along the East African Rift say the continent is gradually splitting apart, a process that could eventually create a new ocean and sever the Horn of Africa from the mainland.

The separation is occurring at a rate of approximately 0.3 inches (about 7 millimeters) per year in certain areas—a seemingly slow pace, but considered rapid on a geological timescale. Using GPS and satellite data, researchers have tracked the movement of tectonic plates beneath northern Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea, revealing early signs of a developing ocean basin.

At the heart of this transformation is the Afar Depression, a geologically active region where three tectonic plates—the African, Arabian, and Somali—are pulling away from each other. Magma from beneath the Earth’s crust is pushing upward, causing the land to crack, stretch, and shift.

“This is one of the few places on Earth where you can study the birth of an ocean in real time,” scientists noted. Volcanic eruptions, surface fractures, and bulging terrain suggest that the process—while slow in human terms—is actively reshaping the continent.

If the trend continues over millions of years, experts say the Indian Ocean could eventually flood into the region, forming a new sea that would turn East Africa into a vast island.

This kind of tectonic rift is not without precedent. Similar geological forces helped form the Red Sea and the Arabian Peninsula millions of years ago.

While the idea of continents splitting and oceans forming may sound dramatic, experts emphasize there's no immediate threat. Estimates for the full rifting process range from 1 to 20 million years.

Still, the East African Rift provides a rare window into Earth's dynamic interior—offering scientists and observers alike a glimpse of continental drift as it happens above ground, rather than hidden beneath the ocean floor.