Horn of Africa will become the eighth continent?

Horn of Africa will become the eighth continent? www.thebeijingnews.com · 2006-11-20 9: 35: 04 · Source: Beijing News

East African Rift Valley North end activity exception million years after the birth of the new plate

"I see that there is a strong/land/sea now.

" 1 century a.d., a Roman poet so describe the motion of the land reclamation. 200 years later, GE in the immortal biography ", writes fairy Magu drunk big statement, said that he had witnessed several degrees East into farmland.

A thousand years ago the legendary implies changes in the true history of the Earth.

Now this kind of change became available for observation of reality. In the second half of 2005, a series of earthquakes, let the Afar region of Ethiopia seismic gap "evolution". Ethiopia, the United Kingdom and other countries of geological researchers after nearly one year after the conclusion of the study, the Ethiopian plateau is likely to be torn in the East African Rift. In the future of millions of years, has long been known as a "horn" of Somali Peninsula will drift away from the African continent, the Red Sea you will become a new ocean. By then, geography textbooks will have to rewrite the four oceans seven continents into eight five oceans.

Recent issue of "natural" and the "explore" magazine has published the results of scientific research.

The Afar region discovered Lucy (South Hai ape Afar kind) is believed to be the oldest person Division members.

$ Bahu volcanic region 2005 14 September to 4 October earthquake map.

Figure in blue dot indicates that the epicenter location, the red line represents laceration location.

The earthquake, rip up to Bahu by 8 metres wide.

$ Bahu rip a holes.

The formation of the East Afri

can Rift Valley map

East African Rift Lakes may be on the millions of years later replaced by the ocean.

Human originated in this

Ancient human scientists generally believe that Africa is the only human branch animal origins, almost all of the oldest fossils of all species of human subjects from Africa, and North of the East African rift with the existence of human origin.

At present many of the ancient human learning, discovery and Ethiopia and Kenya.

The oldest fossil found Homo erectus to this and find locations is named East African Homo erectus.

The "elderly-people" skull fossils found that more modern "African origins," provides compelling evidence.

The Afar region is the cradle of mankind "East Africa" in one of the most dazzling.

1974 and 30 November, the United States human Scientist Donald · Johnson led the team here has a fossil found, that is, afterward by "Lucy" name as known in South Hai ape Afar kind. The life in the now 320 years ago, only live for 20-year-old female, was thought to be currently the known first person Division members.

There are scientists, it is precisely because of the East African rift of special geological movement, forcing the Hai ape had to say good-bye to the tree of life, out of the forest stand upright, and ultimately led to the emergence of human beings.

Paleontologists eaves · branch friends, finds that tens of millions of years ago, the equatorial forest in the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean between across Africa.

With the plate tectonic movement, up from within the Earth's magma, in the East African Rift forming a bar.

So the area of precipitation pattern is destroyed, the rain forest in Eastern Africa. Section Peng, pointed out that "gorillas and chimpanzees may represent our State of the forest of the sons of our ancestors; South Hai APE and case there may be another part of the ancestor's progeny. Because thetectonic events causing ecological barriers, these ancestors had to adapt to the climate worsens, in open desert life. ”

$ Bahu volcanic region earthquake table (2005 year on 14 September to 4 October)

A huge scar

26 September 2005, the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AddisAbabaUniversity) geologists Atalay ·

Ayatollah Le (AtalayAyele) and colleagues a helicopter to the middle of the desert regions of the country. However, just jump off the plane, at the foot of the violent shaking up the Earth. In fact, since 14 September, this land has been crying — intensive earthquake here the geological structure of the new changes. Ayatollah al et al. back plane, the Earth begins to angrily, ground quickly split a gap, was like a zipper is suddenly opened. This field is completely different with the situation before the earthquake, so that a little senses "Ayatollah Le unexpectedly".

Such a scene repeated in the East African Rift Valley, the South Bank of the Northern Red Sea, a title of "Afar" region.

September 14 to October, in the region and its surrounding area were a total of 163 times, magnitude earthquake in 3.9 5.6 level.

Frequent seismic change the Afar region of conditions on the ground. Less than half a month, Fangyuan 345 square kilometers of desert there hundreds of crack,Some of the more than 100 meters depth. Earthquake triggered a $ Bahu volcanic eruptions. The earthquake and volcano interactions in Daba perahu near opened a huge up to 60 km.

A crack in the region after the earthquake, a mess.

Underground always emit nearly 400 degrees Celsius temperature smoke air acrid smell of sulphur. In some areas, cracks appear in volcanic ash-covered weak surface. $ Bahu volcanic area residents had to migrate to the surface again and again.

"The Afar is Earth's most vibrant area, the three major sections meet there.

" At the Institute of geology and Geophysics, side Chin Tao, as researcher in the Afar region where there happens earthquake is the expected row. About 3000 years ago, the Arabian Peninsula separates the African plate tectonic plate and the birth of the Red Sea. Now these two plate continues to split, the Red Sea is to average annual growth rate of 2.2 cm. The Afar region of recent changes, and this close relationship.

Added new fracture

Ayatollah-Le-hope explained from a scientific point of view why angry Earth.

The Afar seismic event, he immediately turned to the United Kingdom scientist. Subsequently, from London University and the Royal Holloway College, University of Oxford and the Addis Ababa University geologists have a joint expedition team, on the Afar RIP internal procedures for the exercise.

Geologists from European giant Earth environmental monitoring satellite en visa (Envisat) back to the data in the Daba perahu this up to 60 kilometers of cuts in less than 3 weeks of time and 8 meters wide.

After analysis, geologists concluded that earthquake aftermath the possibility of expanding the RIP is very small.

The joint expedition team is mainly responsible for satellite data analysis of the Oxford University Earth physicist Tim ·

Wright's explanation for this is that up to the volcano eruption Bahu creates large amounts of lava, which more than 2.5 cubic kilometers of molten rock into the plate gap. These magmatic like knocking into the crust of the wedge, will reach Bahu volcanic vents again torn. Events before and after the satellite radar imagery shows that here there was a series of new cuts, new cuts both ways, surface subsidence to the molten rock. Further details on display, the formation of these new cuts and not smooth, but a series of sudden fracture.

Ayatollah Irbil scientists noted that a similar situation had occurred in Iceland, karavla volcanic eruptions (Krafla), contributed to the growth of nearby plate cracks, but Iceland of similar incidents in 1975 to 1984, after 1

0 years of evolution. But this time, Bahu volcano in just one week.

However, da Bahu volcanic vents, high-speed growth and won't last too long.

Scientists said up to Bahu volcanic magma Jet will not be kept. New magma spray out when the previous open, so it will not be accumulated. But now look at the terrain of volcanic Eastern Medina Kiel (Denakil) area surrounding heights can temporarily slow down this process.

Horn of Africa will disappear?

November 6, 1978, the Afar region of surface sudden rupture, Armand du Bukoba volcano in sudden eruption in minutes.

Scientists study indicates that, when the volcano on the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula and separated 1.2 m. Seventies of the twentieth century, about the study of the Afar region, has a plate tectonics theory has laid a solid foundation.

And for this the Afar rift of new cracks, Wright said, is due to the melting of the rock, which is injected into the satellite observation is the first time.

While the Afar region has never stop moving, the crack is still on the increase, the ground is constantly sinking. In Paris, Professor of Geology Laboratory Christopher Buddha · dimensional lattices, led by the research group study is that, as the African tectonic plate and the Arabian plate two plates of split, the ground will be subsidence, eventually to make the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. By then, the fiery volcanoes in the scuttling of the magma is now emission will become a solid new marine sea bed.

The Afar region geological upheaval prologue has been pulled.

As more and more, cracks in the Red Sea's growth and exploits will be difficult to avoid. If the Afar cracks the final cross-section continual, and the Red Sea, sea water is poured into the area, the new oceans might therefore was born. Although this process may take over millions of years, but at least now seems inevitable.

In fact, the fate of the East African Rift zone has been suffering from the sci

entists and the public's attention. The East African Rift zone is the Earth's surface, the largest part of the Rift Valley, which extends from Jordan to the South, across Africa, only to Mozambique, Chief of 6400 km, average width of 48 km to 64 km. In the Great Rift zone, there are more than one similar to the Afar region such a crack in the area.

The existence of these areas as the continent's geological evolution provides a number of variables.

This process and hundreds of millions of years ago, Atlantic plate is very similar to the split of the situation. While the Afar crack is likely to become the "four oceans seven continents" into "five oceans eight Chau" starter. However, in the Chinese scholars, the final situation still uncertain.

The Horn of Africa, "said in millions of years will disconnect with the composition of some speculation.

" Wei Wen pointed out that Ethiopia Northern and Central massive volcanic activity, it has long been a consensus. Cracks appear, mainly because of the earthquake's epicenter comparison brief. Frequent earthquakes, indicating that the Afar region is in the earth energy release phase.

Therefore, the Afar crack rapid widening is this period stage performance.

Several years later, most likely a stable period.

The Earth never calm

Prior to this, a different plate between the kinematics and tectonics of the description is in the assumption of rigid plate.

However, late last century, space geodetic techniques for rapid development. Global data can be a public site has nearly 1000, stationPoint of distribution has a better monitoring of the global capacity of plate movement. Side Chin Tao said: "according to these site data, we can be observed in Europe, North America, Pacific, South America, Africa, India and Australia and other six plates with their movement vectors. " This work has been carried out for several years and has accumulated a large number of related data. Academician Ma zongjin, researchers through the analysis of these data, identifies the crustal plate movement direction. With the Eurasian plate, for example, from the East side of the North Atlantic Ocean Ridge, the entire European 15 sites measured motion vectors almost all point to the Northeast. Urals in the Asian continent, region and the Middle East for 3 sites to point to the East, then South to the East and gradually to until the eastern margin of the Asian continent. Northwest Pacific Islands as the top plate subduction zones, namely, the archipelago was not part of the land-based diving plug ·towage down part of the campaign is pointing to the Southeast, which indicates that the Southeast Asian continent are moving in the direction of movement.

Several other major tectonic plate movement trends also more specific, the American West to the West, the Atlantic Ridge continued growth, Atlantic plate to things to grow.

While the Pacific development then slow down gradually.

"This is the current observed several large plate motion, such impact movement affect the future of plate tectonics, is unknown.

" Side Chin Tao noted that the movement of the earth plate must exist as to when this situation arose, such trends will last long, are currently not so clear. Now scientists have done according to the geological conditions and paleomagnetism, volcanic geology, paleontology is equivalent to the continental or sea, back before the movement of the plates.

■ Link

Theory of continental drift and plate

Continental plate theory of the formation of the Earth science community of mainstream opinion.

Germany meteorologists wigner inadvertently found on both sides of the Atlantic coast form exactly match — South America East of the Amazon River estuary, just fill in the African continent in the Western Gulf of Guinea, for North America of the East Coast and the island group in Central America happened to fill between Europe and Africa. In 1915, wigner released the continent and the ocean, "a book of the origin, the official presentation of the" theory of continental drift. "

In the early 1960s, Princeton University Professor Hess proposed the concept of seafloor spreading and paleomagnetism, geochronology, marine geology, and a series of new evidence in support of the discipline.

Geoscience generally accepted the activities on the point of view, and gradually formed a "plate tectonics theory".

China University of Geosciences geophysics and information technologies Institute Professor Wei Wen explained that "plate theory" that the continent on Earth is not a stationary, which is located below the surface as lava or magma movement.

Tectonic plates on the surface layer of the lithosphere is like a rigid sheet floating in the melting of the mantle (such as the asthenosphere), the role of stress in the Earth, you can move the lithosphere, rupture, convergence and abatement.

Side Chin Tao noted that "the cause of the East African Rift Valley is the result of plate tectonic movement, has been more recognition.

" For over a year ago in the Afar region of the rift, you will add a new plate theory.

The Afar crack internal flow along surface of magma, rip off of the campaign will promote inland, Africa and the Arab separation of two tectonic plates.

Last widening is located in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula between the Red Sea, and is located in Arab structural plate on the North-East of Eritrea and Ethiopia also will open in a new separate island during the formation of the continent, which is divided into two parts.

"In General, we emphasize more of a plate and plate movement between, but the Afar you can go to plate movement," side Chin Tao noted that this process and millions of years ago, similar to the Atlantic plate separation.

Prior to this, the Atlantic Ridge drive American plate with the Eurasian plate and African tectonic plate out and one or two per year-cm speed widened the Atlantic.

■ Other solutions

Seven continents might gather again

Millions of years after the Earth map will appear on the eight five oceans.

There is also a researcher, 10 million years after the Earth all continents growing super continent again.

29 September 2005, Russia Pravda said Russia geologists have produced a 3D sphere of modern geodynamic model, and a staggering inference also resulting — the world's seven continents in a billion years later will blend into each other "super continent".

This model is made up of Russia Academy of Schmidt Geophysical Institute scientists, the principle is based on seven continents float in convection of geological structures on the mantle.

Modeler, Russia geodynamic research laboratories in charge of Varennes · truby Paterson pointed out, every continent near the ocean crust is only temporary and attached to the edge of the continental crust.

As the proportion of the ocean crust is larger than the continental crust, and the active portion of the continental crust, oceanic crust will "slide" to all continents at the bottom of the crust. While continental plate is also in the enormous pressure of mantle, constantly push squeeze together. 10 billion years later, the Earth will reproduce a "super continent". When rendering of the new super continent also never is 2 billion years ago.

However, these unknown Dynamic Earth, Wei Zhao, edge Chin Tao and other scholars, a bit like science fiction.

The reasoning of the arguments, but no matter how accurate, Earth movement, but beyond the, "on the internal movement of the Earth, we still have many problems in interpretation are not clear yet."

The topic thanks to the side of the Chin Tao (Institute of geology and Geophysics) Wei Zhao (China University of Geosciences geophysics and information technology Institute)

This version of the author/reporter Li Jian-