Africa splitting sooner; new ocean to form in millions of years

Geologists found Africa's Turkana Rift has reached a "critical threshold," with crust thinning to just 13 km at its centre — triggering "necking," the confirmed break-up phase. The African Plate is splitting into Nubian and Somali plates, eventually forming a new ocean. The process, ongoing for 4 million years, is more advanced than previously thought, per Nature Communications.