Scientists have warned that the continent of Africa is witnessing a faster disintegration process than previous expectations, as this began in the Ethiopia desert region since 2005, through the appearance of cracks of 35 miles.

Since then, these cracks have expanded at a rate of half an inch annually, raising questions about the continent's geological future.

Experts initially believed that this disintegration would take millions of years, but a professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara, Professor Ken McKinend, confirmed in a statement to the British newspaper "Daily Mail" that the process may occur within a million to 5 million years only.

This disintegration opens the door to the possibility of a new ocean and continent on the surface of the earth.

McKinend said: "What may happen is that the water of the Indian Ocean will submerge the rift valley in East Africa," adding that the new ocean may be deep like the Atlantic Ocean if the water flows to the region.

The incision extends through Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and half of Ethiopia, and it is expected to turn into a new continent called "Nubia continent".

Although this process occurs at a very slow pace, scientists consider it interesting due to the huge size of the continent of Africa.

McKinend pointed out that geological changes will not be noticeable in human time, explaining: “We may witness some earthquakes or volcanoes, but the ocean will not enter our lives in the near time”

disintegration occurs within the rift system in East Africa, which extends for 2000 miles and dates back to at least 22 million years.

The region is home to tectonic sheets moving away from each other.

Despite the progress of geological studies, the exact mechanisms behind these movements are still completely understood.

Some researchers believe that the reason is due to slow circular movements of molten rocks, as a result of the heat coming from the Earth's nucleus.

In a recent study published in “Earth Science Reviews” in 2024, the researchers showed how different areas of the rift system in East Africa are witnessing varying levels of volcanic activity associated with disintegration, including density density in the depths of the earth indicating the thinning of the Earth's crust .

cracks continue to form, such as those that appeared in Kenya in 2018 after heavy rains, which scientists see as an indication that disintegration will continue to expand, and may lead to the division of Madagascar into two separate islands.

In another study conducted by the University of Virginia Tech in 2020, the researchers indicated that the new oceans will be formed first in the northern part of the rift, where the expansion in this region is the fastest.