Drying Climate Accelerates East African Rift
Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text, focusing on the relationship between climate and plate tectonics in East Africa:
* East Africa is splitting apart: The African tectonic plate is undergoing rifting in eastern Africa, potentially leading to the formation of two plates and a new ocean. This rifting creates deep valleys and associated lakes like Lake Turkana and Lake Malawi.
* Climate influences rifting: The research suggests that climate change can accelerate the splitting apart of the Earth’s crust in East Africa. Wetter periods (like the African Humid Period) increase water pressure in the ground, lubricating faults and making them more prone to slip, thus speeding up the rifting process.
* Two-way relationship: Traditionally, scientists thought mountain building (a result of plate tectonics) influenced climate. This study shows the relationship works in reverse too – climate can influence plate tectonics.
* Evidence from Lake Turkana: Researchers studied sediments from lake Turkana in Kenya. They found evidence of increased fault activity and earthquakes coinciding with periods of higher water levels (during the African Humid period). The lake was significantly deeper 5,000+ years ago during a wetter period.
* Study author: Christopher Scholz, a geologist and professor emeritus at Columbia University, is the senior author of the study.
In essence, the study demonstrates that wetter climates can contribute to faster continental breakup by increasing pressure on underground faults.