Africa is Splitting into Two Continents

What is a continental rift?

• A mountain range that spans across a continent

• A large river that crosses a continent

• A deep trench found in the ocean floor

• A situation where a continent is breaking apart into two or more pieces

What was the name of the single continent that existed hundreds of millions of years ago?

• Eurasia

• Gondwana

• Atlantis

• Pangea

What causes the Earth's crust to break apart, leading to the formation of continents and oceans?

• Meteor impacts

• The movement and shifting of tectonic plates

• Ocean currents

• Global warming

Which two plates are moving away from each other in the East African Rift?

• The Antarctic Plate and the South American Plate

• The Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate

• The Somalian Plate and the Nubian Plate

• The Pacific Plate and the North American Plate

What might be a result of the Somalian tectonic plate completely detaching from the Nubian plate?

• The formation of a new mountain range

• The disappearance of the African continent

• The creation of a new moon for Earth

• The splitting of the world's second-largest continent into two

What is the estimated time it would take for a clean separation of the Somalian plate from the Nubian plate?

• 50 to 100 years

• 1,000 to 2,000 years

• 5 to 10 million years

• 100 to 200 million years

What is a mantle plume?

• A type of bird found in volcanic areas

• A large, hot rock that falls from space

• An area under the Earth's crust where magma is hotter than surrounding magma

• A rare mineral found only in the deepest parts of the Earth

What is a rift valley?

• A valley formed by the collapse of a mountain

• A type of valley found only on the moon

• A lowland region formed when two tectonic plates move apart

• A valley created by the erosion of a river

What is the significance of the East African Rift to scientists?

• It is a popular tourist destination

• It provides evidence of extraterrestrial life

• It is an excellent field laboratory to study a modern, actively developing rift system

• It is the only place on Earth where diamonds can be found

What could be a potential benefit for countries like Ethiopia and Uganda from the East African Rift?

• A decrease in population

• Discovery of new species of animals

• Increased tourism

• Introduction of a coastline and new opportunities for trade