At a Glance
- Researchers have found that rhythmic surges of molten rock from the Earth’s mantle are gradually tearing the African continent apart, creating the conditions for a brand-new ocean.
- A study focused on Ethiopia’s Afar region revealed that a massive mantle plume does not have a steady flow but instead pulses upward like a geologic heartbeat deep beneath the surface.
- Scientists discovered repeating chemical patterns in volcanic rocks, which act like geological barcodes to reveal the mantle plume surges upward in distinct, rhythmic pulses beneath the continent.
- The behavior of these deep-earth pulses is directly influenced by the thickness and movement of the overlying tectonic plates, which channel the molten rock toward the thinnest areas.
- This new understanding of the dynamic relationship between the planet’s mantle and crust helps explain the links between volcanism, earthquakes, and the long-term process of continental breakup.
Scientists have uncovered new evidence showing that rhythmic pulses of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth are slowly tearing the African continent apart. A study led by researchers at the University of Southampton, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, reveals that these surges are a key force in the formation of a new ocean. The findings detail how the upward flow of hot material from the planet’s mantle, the thick layer of rock between the crust and the core, is heavily influenced by the movement of tectonic plates. These massive, rigid slabs make up Earth’s surface. Over millions of years, this process stretches and thins the continent until it eventually ruptures, creating a new ocean basin.
The research focused on the Afar region in Ethiopia, a unique geological location where three tectonic rifts converge, causing the land to split apart. Geologists have long suspected a mantle plume, a column of exceptionally hot rising rock, lies beneath the region. To investigate, the international team collected and analyzed more than 130 volcanic rock samples. Their analysis revealed that the mantle plume is not a steady stream but rather pulses upward like a “beating heart.” Dr. Emma Watts, the study’s lead author, explained in a university press release, “We found that the mantle beneath Afar is not uniform or stationary—it pulses, and these pulses carry distinct chemical signatures.”
By examining the chemical makeup of the volcanic rocks, the team discovered repeating patterns, which they described as “geological barcodes.” These chemical stripes reveal that the plume’s pulses are channeled and shaped by the rifting plates above. Tom Gernon, a professor of Earth science at the University of Southampton and a co-author of the study, compared the process to blood flow. “The chemical striping suggests the plume is pulsing, like a heartbeat,” he said. “In faster-spreading rifts like the Red Sea, the pulses travel more efficiently and regularly like a pulse through a narrow artery.” This illustrates that the plume’s behavior changes depending on the thickness of the overlying plate and the rate at which it is being pulled apart.
This dynamic relationship between the deep Earth and the surface has significant consequences. It demonstrates that the evolution of mantle upwellings is directly tied to the motion of the plates beneath which they flow. “This has profound implications for how we interpret surface volcanism, earthquake activity, and the process of continental breakup,” said Dr. Derek Keir, a co-author from the University of Southampton and the University of Florence. The research helps explain how deep mantle flow can be focused toward areas where the tectonic plate is thinnest, concentrating volcanic activity and driving the forces that will one day split Africa and form a new sea.
References
- University of Southampton. (2025, June 25). Scientists detect deep Earth pulses beneath Africa. Phys.Org; University of Southampton. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-scientists-deep-earth-pulses-beneath.html
- Watts, E. J., Rees, R., Jonathan, P., Keir, D., Taylor, R. N., Siegburg, M., Chambers, E. L., Pagli, C., Cooper, M. J., Michalik, A., Milton, J. A., Hincks, T. K., Gebru, E. F., Ayele, A., Abebe, B., & Gernon, T. M. (2025). Mantle upwelling at Afar triple junction shaped by overriding plate dynamics. Nature Geoscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01717-0
