One of Earth’s Continents Is Splitting Apart and May Create a New Ocean

Earth might one day get a brand-new ocean—and it could all start in Northern Africa.

According to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, a slow but powerful tectonic shift under the Horn of Africa could eventually tear a massive chunk of land—encompassing parts of Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea—away from the rest of the continent. If the movement continues, the Indian Ocean could rush into the gap, forming what would eventually become a whole new body of water.

Don’t cancel your beach plans just yet, though. If this ocean does emerge, it won’t happen for at least another 1 to 20 million years, researchers say.

This slow-motion continental break-up is happening along the East African Rift System, one of the most geologically active areas on Earth. Here, the Somalian tectonic plate is gradually pulling away from the Nubian plate—and both are also drifting away from the Arabian plate to the north.

At the heart of the action is magma deep beneath Earth’s surface. That molten rock is pushing the plates apart, stretching the rift at a pace of about 0.3 inches per year, according to USA Today. While that might seem insignificant, it adds up over millennia—and it’s already causing increased volcanic and earthquake activity in the region.

Geologists say plate tectonics are responsible for much of Earth’s dramatic landscape. When plates pull apart, we get volcanoes, geysers, and deep valleys. When they collide, we see the rise of mighty mountain ranges like the Himalayas. The same forces shape places like California’s San Andreas Fault and Yellowstone’s underground volcanic system.

In the case of East Africa, the long-term consequences could be extraordinary—eventually redrawing the world map with a sixth major ocean.

Interestingly, the last time the world officially recognized a new ocean was just a few years ago. In 2021, the National Geographic Society formally named the waters surrounding Antarctica as the Southern Ocean, after decades of debate among scientists.

If the East African Rift continues to widen, the next oceanic newcomer might just rise from the heart of Africa.