Millions of years from now, northern Africa could be home to a new ocean, as tectonic plates pull apart along the East African Rift System, according to scientists. Experts have long known that ...

By Julian James The emergence of this new ocean is tied to the gradual movement of tectonic plates. The African, Arabian, and Somali plates are drifting apart, creating the East African Rift—a ...

In 2005, an event in Ethiopia underscored the rift’s volatility. Over 420 earthquakes within a short period created a large fissure in the Afar region, an area characterized by its extreme ...