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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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14

Desert Rift Creating New African Sea—Slowly

Crack created by volcanic eruption will eventually meet with Red Sea

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(Newser) – Africa is getting a new ocean—in a million years, give or take. It's starting with a 35-mile rift in the Ethiopian desert caused by the eruption of a volcano in 2005. The rift will eventually meet with the Red Sea, allowing the waters to spill in, say scientists. The process is a small part of the separation of the African and Arabian tectonic plates, which have been moving away from one another at a rate of 1 inch per year for 30 million years, LiveScience reports.

A map of Ethiopia. In a million years, waters will spill into a newly-formed rift, creating a new sea perpendicular to the red sea.
A map of Ethiopia. In a million years, waters will spill into a newly-formed rift, creating a new sea perpendicular to the red sea.   (Wikimedia commons)
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14 comments
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Citrixguy
Nov 3, 09 2:24 PM CST
Get in line now and beat the rush for a fishing license.... Reply
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+5
dontlikeyou
Nov 3, 09 2:24 PM CST
By that time, the Israel/Arab conflict should be resolved..... maybe. Reply
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+5
IN RESPONSE:
riffran
Nov 3, 09 5:23 PM CST
don't get you're hopes up.....they will still be at it...lol
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0
Cat-Lover
Nov 3, 09 2:42 PM CST
30,000,000 years x 1 inch per year = 473.48 Miles. Hey!!! They're closer than that!!! Something's wrong somewhere!! Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
shonangreg
Nov 3, 09 4:02 PM CST
This didn't start with a volcanic eruption in 1995 either.
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-1

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Africa • Ethiopia • volcano • tectonic plates • Red Sea • new ocean in africa

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