Massive, superheated rocks are bubbling up from deep inside the planet — and it's splitting Africa in two.

As a result, scientists say a new ocean is forming in Africa.

Deep beneath Ethiopia's Afar region, three tectonic plates—the Arabian, Nubian, and Somali—are gradually pulling apart. As these plates continue to diverge over the next five to ten million years, they could eventually split the African continent in two, creating a brand-new ocean between them. Researchers have already detected signs of oceanic crust forming, a clear signal that this continental rift is evolving into something much bigger.

Thanks to advanced GPS technology, geologists can now track these movements with remarkable precision, measuring shifts in the Earth’s crust down to mere millimeters per year.

While the exact cause of the rifting remains uncertain, one leading theory suggests that superheated rocks are rising from the planet’s mantle at the meeting point of the three tectonic plates, fueling the separation. As scientists continue to study this rare geological event, it offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to better understand the birth of oceans—and the forces that slowly, yet powerfully, reshape our planet.