Horn of Africa - NEW Rift or Mountain from Nabro through Shibiris

reply to post by Curious and Concerned


Geologically 'new' it is a process already going on for millenia; but there seems to be accelerated incidents at present. So it is still an ongoing process.

Surfing? I never saw surfable waves in that are - Eritrea, Djibouti and Somaliland.
Everytime I was on a beach it was either dead flat snorkel water (mostly) or serious confused unpleasant windy.
There is not enough 'fetch' for waves.

BUT if you like quiet remote, peacful, natural - that is the places to go.

reply to post by Aromaz


What exactly are you posting then?

Seems you're stating facts:

Take this as the absolute new fact.

And I have no idea where you're going with it.

Very interesting thread and topic. I've been checking out the area in Google-Earth and the amount of volcanoes lining up in the area and especially downwards to the SW is amazing. Looks like the ring of fire.

Originally posted by tarifa37
Fantastic post OP One thing ,how does a mountain become a Volcano I have never heard of that happening before. Surely it must have been a dormant volcano all along.

Well, after all I am not completely right - or wrong. @Tarifa37, would this make you more happy?

Gooogle Earth close view of the periodically vent blowing in Somaliland; see earlier posts.
This is after all a volcano! No doubt and I am not so sure this was very-very long ago (Geologically)
Might be a second Holocene volcano in one week, same area, 750 km apart?
The 400/600/1600/2400 meters are elevation above sea level - it is a crater.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9e8fe04e3018.jpg[/atsimg]

Originally posted by Chadwickus
What exactly are you posting then?
...
And I have no idea where you're going with it.

Sure, it is just another normal Rift valley and just a normal piece of well known land?
Even in your own referred post there are many questions.
I am sure you know them?

What is a rift? How do they form? How does the mountians in this area form?
Why is there a 'Thinned Crust' on which Djibouti is established?
How exactly Africa and Arabia did came apart?
What and how come the flood basalts, why did it form a depression there, where did the material go?
Why is the 'Mountain' in North East Somaliland erupting? Why and how did this mountain form?
Why is that a mountain range there and not a rift, though many books indicate rift just on the coast/shore parallel to the oceanic plate boundary?

Where am I going? Nowhere, I only look at nice pictures and share little observations.

Why don't you please help to contribute? I am just a struggling old man.
Would really appreciate some explanations on the above questions; and I am sure more people here would be interested too.

Generally it is accepted that there is a rift opening up, running near the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia from Er Rih island in the North running due South to Hertali where it turn SW towards Addis. Another tear is running from Jalua cove to Afar then turn to Dabbahu then back South to the Geisers on the flood basalts.

It was assumed these are cracks that are opening up, still parts of the breaking apart Africa/Arabia; now the general consensus is that the horn of Africa is breaking off. I think it is rather mending, being pressed together. It is re-building.

Why? That is where this whole renewed interest in that region is coming from; and from latest series of events there.

reply to post by Aromaz


Well the article linked to is a good place to start.

It's a very unique area, well worth investigating.

Sorry if I came in strong, just wasn't sure of your angle.

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by Aromaz

 

Well the article linked to is a good place to start.
It's a very unique area, well worth investigating.
Sorry if I came in strong, just wasn't sure of your angle.

Check edits in previous post please! I am going to sleep now.

Originally posted by Aromaz
reply to post by Curious and Concerned

 

Geologically 'new' it is a process already going on for millenia; but there seems to be accelerated incidents at present. So it is still an ongoing process.

Surfing? I never saw surfable waves in that are - Eritrea, Djibouti and Somaliland.
Everytime I was on a beach it was either dead flat snorkel water (mostly) or serious confused unpleasant windy.
There is not enough 'fetch' for waves.

No, not much of a fetch at all, just some potential for wind swell from the west, or possibly wrapping groundswell from SouthWest. But that doesn't stop the mind from wondering what if The sand banks looked like they had potential, even if they got swell very rarely... I always look for the potential positives

Anyway, back on topic. Do you have sufficient reason to believe it is accelerating? For instance, can you accurately compare what is happening now to what has happened in the past? It seems like it could be a fairly geologically active area. Is there any geothermal activity in the area?

And in your third post, where you say that you "would be safe in stating all these clouds are steam and ash vents oepning up here". Is there any other means for verifying this other than those satellite images? It looks like a fairly significant amount of 'clouds' in the graphic, so can we be certain these are all steam or ash clouds? I'm not that familiar with those paticular satellite images. This would be quite a large scale event if what you say is true.

A key part is the RIDGE not Rift in gulf of Aden. The whole Gulf of Aden was once the Rift. If that ridge is doing what some people believe, then it might be pushing the Horn of Africa down South; breaking it off. How and why did Africa and Arabia break apart? We know they still migrate with Red Sea getting wider every year. Is it Continental or is it Tectonic?

Why the eruptions of Nabro and Shimbiris now suddently ? Excessive pressure?

Originally posted by Curious and Concerned
And in your third post, where you say that you "would be safe in stating all these clouds are steam and ash vents oepning up here". Is there any other means for verifying this other than those satellite images? It looks like a fairly significant amount of 'clouds' in the graphic, so can we be certain these are all steam or ash clouds? I'm not that familiar with those paticular satellite images. This would be quite a large scale event if what you say is true.

The best and fastest was Infra Red images from two different satelites.

Yes we did with MODIS / LANCE initial data; content of water steam, Sulphur Dioxide, CO2 and Carbon Monoxide observed.. Will take maybe three months to really work all data.

Other than this; local geological survey; with is extreme location and financially unlikley at present; from Somaliland Dept of Mines..

Keep in mind folks, this area is not the same or comparable to any other that I know of. Here the rock structure is crystaline; you can rather imagine glass than other kinds of rocks. That means fracturing volcanic eruptions are more prone than caldera blown-up-baloon-bursts. That is also why these volcanos does not really give a long warning. Pressure builds up, it held back by a thick solid layer of obsidian glasified kind of material.

Often they will erupt with lava flow after a small earthquake, but no big noise of explosion. Just creepy thief in the night style.

This has been known for years - here is an article from 2006:

Africa's New Ocean: A Continent Splits Apart

Normally new rivers, seas and mountains are born in slow motion. The Afar Triangle near the Horn of Africa is another story. A new ocean is forming there with staggering speed -- at least by geological standards. Africa will eventually lose its horn.

Africa's New Ocean

Judging by your own picture, those clouds aren't any different from the ones on the other land masses in the picture.

files.abovetopsecret.com...

I'm going to throw this out there and it may not have a thing to do with anything really.

I think I read a few months past about the USA and others having ships in that area that was watching something strange in the waters...does anyone remember anything about that.

Thank you Mods, I'd hate to see another thread derailed about a topic that has already been thrashed to death elsewhere.

And back on topic, I wonder why we haven't seen much footage of these volcanoes, I assume the region is very very remote and difficult for news teams to get into? Particularly for something as generally 'common' as a volcanic eruption?

Just to make sure I understand right here. You say that the area first ripped open and now nature is trying to stitch the wound right ?

I have found an interesting report from the respected German Magazine SPIEGEL and translated it with google translate:

The volcanic eruption and the earthquake show that North Africa is in upheaval. In the geological rush begins to break down the whole continent, it created a new ocean. 2005 began a new burst of activity, as in the Afar depression suddenly ripped open on 60 kilometers of desert land. Only in November, scientists witnessed increased activity: the famous volcano Erta Ale had broken out. Although always had lava in the crater of Erta Ale bubbled - but the volcano erupted was not for decades.

In Northeast Africa is no longer what it was. The desert floor trembles and breaks, bubbling volcanoes, the sea penetrates - Africa begins entzweizubrechen. An initial crack is created in the past millions of years, fill the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Now, the earth of Ethiopia to the south opens into Mozambique. Numerous volcanoes lining the East African grave breach. In a few million years, the gap will fill an ocean.
The sea is advancing

The type of magma in the region is still amazing scientists: it is of the sort that is found elsewhere only in the deep ocean at mid-ocean ridges. It is characterized by its low content of silica. The magma of the Erta Ale is one of its deep-sea volcano chemistry produces the. The region is increasingly resembling a sea floor, just missing on the water.

In the north, in the Danakil Depression can happen to the advance of the sea soon: block where only 25 meter hill, the flat waters of the Red Sea. The country has already lowered behind dozens of meters. White salt crusts on the sandy soil are evidence of former thrusts of the ocean. But the lava sea was soon cut off access.
For six years the ocean has accelerated development in Northeast Africa. To date, researchers in North Africa were, a few millimeters per year expansion of the soil. But now the earth will open the meter. The tectonic plates are drifting apart.

Were responsible for the cleavage of Africa but mainly volcanic eruptions, Ian Bastow writing from the University of Bristol and Derek Keir of the University of Leeds in the journal "Nature Geoscience". As the torch flares divided the African continent. The outbreak of the hypobromite is now another smoke signals from the largest construction site on the planet Earth.

Originally posted by Aromaz

Originally posted by tarifa37
Fantastic post OP One thing ,how does a mountain become a Volcano I have never heard of that happening before. Surely it must have been a dormant volcano all along.

Well, after all I am not completely right - or wrong. @Tarifa37, would this make you more happy?

Gooogle Earth close view of the periodically vent blowing in Somaliland; see earlier posts.
This is after all a volcano! No doubt and I am not so sure this was very-very long ago (Geologically)
Might be a second Holocene volcano in one week, same area, 750 km apart?
The 400/600/1600/2400 meters are elevation above sea level - it is a crater.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9e8fe04e3018.jpg[/atsimg]

Thanks for your reply, so you are saying it is an existing volcano that is erupting or venting steam not a crack or newly formed volcano. Many thanks.

wow, this is crazy