September 29, 2008 | 23 comments

Birth of an Ocean: The Evolution of Ethiopia's Afar Depression

Formation of an ocean is a rare event, one few scientists have ever witnessed. Yet this geophysical nativity is unfolding today in one of the hottest and most inhospitable corners of the globe. Visit the site in safety through this extraordinary photographic essay

By Eitan Haddok

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RISING ABOVE Birth of an Ocean: The Evolution of Ethiopia's Afar Depression :: Formation of an ocean is

RISING ABOVEThe highest point in sunken Afar is Erta Ale, or "smoking mountain" in the language of the local people. Erta Ale is the northernmost volcano in a long chain that follows the so-called East African Rift.

This rift is the not yet submerged equivalent of mid-ocean ridges--chains of under-��sea volcanoes that produce new seafloor. Indeed, Erta Ale spews the same kind of basaltic lava that erupts at mid-ocean ridges; past expulsions have covered the surrounding plain with so much fresh basalt that vegetation struggles to take hold.

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