Africa is splitting in TWO as new tectonic boundary forms in Zambia

"“This fluid connection is evidence that the fault boundary of the Kafue Rift is active. 'Therefore, the Southwest African Rift Zone is too - and may be an early indication of the break-up of sub-Saharan Africa.'”"

"“Gases in Zambia's hot springs contain helium and carbon isotopes that show the boundary has broken all the way through the Earth's outer layer. This crack allows fluids to escape from the hot, viscous mantle and bubble up to the surface.”"

"“Scientists can work out where liquids are emerging from based on the ratios of certain isotopes. In the new study, scientists took samples of gas from eight geothermal springs across Zambia; six in the Kafue Rift and two outside it. They found that all of the gases inside the rift had unusually high levels of helium isotopes, matching those found within the mantle, while those outside the rift did not.”"

"“Likewise, only those samples taken from inside the rift valley had levels of carbon dioxide matching those found in mantle fluids. These gases couldn't have come from the air since the ratio of isotopes does not match that of the atmosphere, nor could they have come from the surrounding rocks. Dr Daly says that this indicates the springs have a 'a direct connection with the Earth's mantle, which lies between 40 and 160km below the Earth's surface'.”"

The Kafue Rift in Zambia is part of the Southwest African Rift System, a long chain of crustal cracks extending from Tanzania to Namibia. Researchers report that the Earth’s crust has cracked through beneath the rift, reaching the boundary of the outer layer. Helium and carbon isotope ratios in gases from geothermal springs show that fluids rise from the mantle and reach the surface through the fault. Samples from within the rift contain helium isotope levels matching mantle values, while samples outside the rift do not. Carbon dioxide isotope levels matching mantle fluids appear only in springs inside the rift valley. The isotope signatures cannot be explained by air or surrounding rocks, indicating a direct mantle connection at depths of roughly 40 to 160 km.

Read at Mail Online