Imagine this: On May 22, 2021, around 92 earthquakes shook the Goma region of Congo. Alongside this, the nearby Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupted, rapidly engulfing a large part of Congo. This was, without a doubt, a deadly event for the people of Congo, but what’s more surprising is that it also caught the attention of Indian geologists, who became concerned despite this happening thousands of miles away.
Why India Should Be Worried
According to scientists, the event raised a major concern for India, particularly for its coastal regions in Mumbai, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala. Indian geologists believe that this could soon lead to drastic changes in India’s landscape, including some of the most vital areas.
The cracks that appeared in Congo due to the earthquakes are connected to much older cracks that have formed over millions of years, stretching from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe. In fact, these cracks are proof that the entire African continent is splitting in two, a process that is speeding up as we speak.
The Impact of Africa’s Split
But why are Indian geologists particularly worried? Well, according to research, this splitting process has led to significant changes in the Earth’s structure. Around 45 million years ago, the Indian subcontinent split off from a massive Australian plate and moved upward, colliding with the Eurasian plate, which eventually formed the Himalayas.
The key concern now is that this ongoing process could create an even more massive mountain range, even taller than the Himalayas, right on India’s western coast. This collision could result in the West Coast of India—places like Mumbai, Goa, Kerala—turning into cold, barren deserts similar to Tibet.
What Will Happen to India’s Coastal Regions?
According to simulations by David Van Hunsberg and his team from the University of Utrecht, the split of Africa could lead to the creation of a new mountain range along India’s west coast, known as the Somalia Mountains. These mountains could be even taller than the Himalayas, and the impact of their collision would elevate India’s western coastline to new heights, possibly even as high as Mount Everest.
This tectonic shift would drastically change the climate in regions that are currently just a few meters above sea level, turning them into freezing cold deserts. The average temperature could drop from around 30°C to between 0°C and 5°C.
Is Africa Really Splitting?
This entire scenario is based on the assumption that Africa is indeed splitting apart. So, to confirm this, the scientists measured the speed of the plate movements where the split is occurring. Surprisingly, they discovered that the Nubian and Somalian plates are indeed moving apart at a speed of 6 to 7 millimeters per year, which is similar to the growth rate of fingernails.
This is not a new discovery—in fact, 150 years ago, John Gregory, a geologist from the London Museum, found early signs of this split during his mapping of the East African Rift in Kenya. The cracks were first discovered as deep fissures filled with water, forming what we know as lakes in the region.
How This Affects Us
The East African Rift is not just an interesting geological phenomenon—it is tied to the evolution of humans. The cracks that formed in Africa due to this splitting process may have directly led to our ancestors being forced to walk on two legs, a significant step in human evolution.
These changes not only affected human evolution but also caused dramatic shifts in the environment. Dense forests turned into dry, barren grasslands, which forced early humans to adapt and evolve for survival.
In fact, many of the early human fossils, such as Lucy, have been found in regions that align with the East African Rift, confirming the direct link between Africa’s split and human evolution.
Survival of the Fittest
Today, the East African Rift is still home to unique species that have adapted to the harsh, volcanic environment. Some species, like the mountain gorilla, have evolved specifically to survive in this challenging region. And, interestingly, humans’ ancestors moved away from this region as these tectonic shifts created dangerous and unstable environments.
Yet, despite all our technological advances, the world still faces the harsh reality of nature’s supremacy. For instance, blue whales, once land mammals, have evolved to become the giants of the ocean, and their size continues to grow as they adapt to survive in their aquatic environment.
The Future of Earth
The splitting of Africa and the tectonic shifts it causes may seem like distant events, but their effects could reach across continents. As the Earth continues to evolve, we might see major changes in our own landscape, just as we did millions of years ago.
Ultimately, while we may feel like the dominant species, the Earth is always changing, and we, like the dinosaurs before us, are part of that endless cycle of evolution and change.
If you found this fascinating and want to learn more about the mysteries of Earth’s evolution, make sure to check out other videos that dive deep into this topic. Stay curious, keep learning, and who knows what the future of our planet holds!