No new ocean forming in East Africa

A 90-second video recently went viral on Facebook, causing much confusion by claiming that a new ocean is forming between Ethiopia and Djibouti.

The video, posted on August 5, is titled: "This Continent is Splitting and Might Create a New Ocean on Earth."

The video opens with breathtaking images of volcanic eruptions and geological faults in East Africa, accompanied by the description: "Ethiopia and Djibouti are reunifying. Scientists have just announced a shocking discovery."

The article also said the Red Sea was expanding, claiming that this was the "birthplace of a new ocean" - an event that could "dramatically change the shape of the Earth".

However, according to AFP News Agency's verification, the content in the video has been distorted.

The images in the video were actually taken from an article in Travel + Leisure magazine on May 14, talking about the phenomenon of tectonic plates in Northeast Africa, including Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea.

Accordingly, these plates are gradually separating from each other due to geological activity - a process that lasts millions of years, not the sudden birth of a new ocean as the video asserts.

According to AFP, the original article did not claim that a new ocean had formed, nor did it mention that Ethiopia and Djibouti were "unifying" as the video claimed.

In fact, the article, citing the Royal Geographical Society of London, points out that: "In the future, as the rifting continues, the rift valley will gradually sink, allowing seawater to flood in, forming a narrow basin of new oceanic crust between the Nubian and Somali tectonic plates."

But more importantly, scientists estimate this process would take millions of years.

Since 2005, a geological phenomenon has been recorded in the Afar region of Ethiopia, when a crack more than 35km long suddenly appeared - clear evidence that the Earth's crust in this area is being stretched - part of a long-term tectonic process.

However, this does not mean that a new ocean has formed or is forming. This is just a stage in a series of geological changes that have lasted over time.

To date, there is no scientific research confirming the appearance of a new ocean in East Africa, but only a tectonic process that is quietly taking place and will continue for millions of years to come.