Earth ChangesAfrica’s great divide: Tectonic forces are slowly tearing the continent apart Posted on December 9, 2025 by Administrator Africa is undergoing a slow-motion geological transformation that will eventually split the continent in two, according to new research analyzing magnetic data from the East African Rift. Scientists predict that over the next five to 10 million years, Africa will separate into distinct landmasses—one in the west and a smaller eastern portion—divided by a newly formed ocean. The study, published in the Journal of African Earth Sciences, reveals that Africa’s tectonic breakup is already underway, driven by the same forces that separated Arabia from Africa tens of millions of years ago. Researchers from Keele University examined magnetic field data collected in the late 1960s, uncovering evidence of ancient seafloor spreading between Africa and Arabia.
