Discover the ‘Geological Heartbeat’: The Incredible Force Creating a New Ocean and Splitting Africa in Two!

Deep within the Earth, hidden in the mantle, heat builds up and causes rock to rise towards the crust. This movement, called mantle upwelling, is crucial for forming volcanoes, pulling continents apart, and even creating new oceans.

In East Africa, the Afar Depression is unique. It’s one of the rare spots where three divergent plate boundaries meet: the Main Ethiopian Rift, the Red Sea Rift, and the Gulf of Aden Rift. Scientists have long speculated about what lies beneath this region. New research sheds light on the mantle’s structure and behavior.

Led by the University of Southampton, researchers collected lava samples from over 130 young volcanoes in the area. They discovered that what’s happening below isn’t simple. The upwelling is asymmetrical, composed of hot mantle material that looks more like a patchwork than a single stream. Emma Watts, who led the study, pointed out that these mantle pulses carry distinct chemical signals, shaping the volcanic activity above.

Interestingly, how this upwelling behaves varies based on the Earth’s crust movement. In areas like the Red Sea Rift, where the plates are moving apart quickly, the mantle flow is faster. But in slower regions, it spreads out gradually. Tom Gernon, a co-author of the study, likened the chemical patterns to a heartbeat. “These pulses differ depending on the plate’s thickness and how fast it’s pulling apart,” he noted.

This research highlights a fascinating link between mantle chemistry and plate tectonics. It suggests that the upwelling affects surface volcanism, earthquakes, and how continents break apart. Co-author Derek Keir mentioned that this upwelling is eroding the lithosphere, the rigid outer shell of the Earth. When combined with stretching from plate movements, it leads to volcanic eruptions.

The Afar region is already experiencing this transformation. Lava flows cover large areas, while seismic activity indicates new crust is forming. Eventually, researchers believe seawater could fill in the gaps, splitting the Horn of Africa from the mainland, similar to how the Atlantic Ocean formed.

Understanding these deep Earth forces can also give insights into our planet’s history. Large igneous provinces in the past have released massive amounts of gases, causing climate changes and even mass extinctions.

This study is a vital step towards understanding the dynamics beneath our feet. “Working with experts across different fields is key to unraveling these deep processes,” Watts concluded. This research shows that mantle upwellings are not isolated features; they are interconnected with the tectonic movements above, shaping both the deep Earth and the surface we live on.

The findings were published in Nature Geoscience. For more insights, you can read the full study here.

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