Superplume drives East Africa's rift, continent may split

A new study suggests a massive superplume deep within the Earth is driving the East African Rift System, potentially splitting the continent. This finding resolves a debate about the rift's formation. Researchers analyzed noble gas isotopes in magma samples from across the rift valley, finding consistent ratios indicating a single, deep source. This supports the superplume theory, contradicting the idea of multiple, shallower plumes. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, compared the gases to those from Hawaii, a known deep mantle plume. The findings have implications for geothermal energy production in the region.