Mysterious 'surge' under Earth's crust could reshape world map, study claims

The pulsing will eventually rip Africa apart and create a new ocean

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A heartbeat-like pulse has been discovered beating deep beneath East Africa — and it’s ripping the continent apart.

The strange thumping is caused by a rhythmic surge of molten mantle rock rising and falling under Earth's surface, according to a recent study in Nature Geoscience. The surges are so powerful that, over millions of years, they could split Africa in two and create a brand-new ocean.

The geological pulse was detected in the Afar Triangle, a region where three tectonic plates - the African, Somali and Arabian plates - meet beneath Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. Known as a tectonic triple junction, it's one of the few places on Earth where the planet's crust is being pulled in three different directions at once.