For countless millennia, Africa has been gradually separating. Recently, researchers have uncovered new evidence indicating a significant force deep within the continent—a towering African superplume that may be responsible for the rift.
This massive column of molten rock, ascending from the junction of Earth’s core and mantle, seems to be pushing up with such intensity that it’s fracturing the crust and spurring volcanic activity throughout the East African Rift System (EARS). Recent geochemical studies reveal that this superplume is no longer merely hypothetical, as it is leaving traces across extensive distances.
The East African Rift System spans over 2,000 miles from the northern Red Sea to southern Mozambique. It stands as the largest active continental rift on the planet, where tectonic plates beneath East Africa are being pulled apart. This ongoing process has sculpted deep valleys throughout the region and has initiated frequent earthquakes and eruptions.
Researchers have long questioned the factors behind this immense transformation. The identification of deep mantle gases throughout various sections of the rift now provides the most robust evidence to date for a substantial upsurge of heat from Earth’s inner layers.
In a recent investigation, scientists evaluated gas emissions in Kenya’s Meengai geothermal area. They detected a chemical signature in the neon isotopes that corresponded with gases originating from deep within the Earth’s mantle. These identical signatures were also observed in volcanic rocks from locations as diverse as the Red Sea and Malawi.
This pattern implies a singular, enormous source beneath all these areas: the African superplume. This rising material likely ascends from approximately 1,800 miles below the surface, spreading out under the crust and exerting enough pressure to cause it to fracture.
In contrast to the slender plume beneath Hawaii, the African superplume is wide and formidable. As it ascends, it heats and compromises the lithosphere, the Earth’s outer layer, increasing the likelihood of fractures. This pressure is what scientists suspect is causing the African plate to break apart, potentially leading to volcanic activity and even the creation of a new ocean far into the future.
