Earth's Mysterious "Heartbeat" Tearing Africa Apart, Forming New Ocean: Study

Researchers at the University of Southampton discovered an unusual thing happening to the Earth beneath Africa. Rhythmic pulses, like the constant beating of our heart, were found surging deep under the Afar region of Ethiopia, where three tectonic plates meet. This phenomenon is caused by molten magma pounding the planet's crust from below. It is gradually tearing the continent apart, forming a new ocean.

The scientists collected more than 130 volcanic rock samples from across the Afar region and the Main Ethiopian Rift. They also used existing data and advanced statistical modelling to probe the structure of the crust and mantle.

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Tom Gernon, Professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton and co-author of the study, said: "The chemical striping suggests the plume is pulsing, like a heartbeat." He said that these pulses appear to behave differently depending on how thick it is and how fast they're pulling apart.

Lead author Dr Emma Watts, who conducted the research at the University of Southampton and is now based at Swansea University, said: "We found that the mantle beneath Afar is not uniform or stationary - it pulses, and these pulses carry distinct chemical signatures."

"These ascending pulses of partially molten mantle are channelled by the rifting plates above. That's important for how we think about the interaction between Earth's interior and its surface," Dr Watts added.

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The study's details, published in the journal Nature Geoscience on June 25, revealed how tectonic plates influence the upward flow of hot material from the deep mantle. A new ocean basin is forming as the continent splits, and seafloor spreading will progress along the entire length of the rift over millions of years.

Dr Derek Keir, Associate Professor in Earth Science at the University of Southampton and the University of Florence, and co-author of the study, said: "We have found that the evolution of deep mantle upwellings is intimately tied to the motion of the plates above. This has profound implications for how we interpret surface volcanism, earthquake activity, and the process of continental breakup."