A new ocean is slowly forming in Africa due to a 35-mile crack that appeared in Ethiopia in 2005. This crack is caused by three tectonic plates—the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian plates—gradually pulling apart. Scientists estimate it will take 5 to 10 million years for the ocean to fully form.

The Afar region, where the plates meet, is a unique place to study tectonic processes. Some researchers believe the rift is driven by a massive plume of superheated rock rising from the Earth’s mantle beneath East Africa. The plates are moving at different speeds, with the Arabian plate drifting away from Africa at about 1 inch per year and the African plates separating even slower, between 0.2 to 0.5 inches annually.

Eventually, this process will create a new mid-ocean ridge system, paving the way for a new ocean to emerge in Africa.