The Making of Lemuria?
I admit, I cannot take credit for naming the island of Lemuria. That was Dougal Dixon's idea I believe. But it was a good enough name that I decided to use it in my Metazoic project. After all, Metazoica is kind of an extension of the After Man project. It was inspired by it, and I just built on it. I really liked Dixon's ideas and agreed with most of them at the time. Besides, I don't believe his ideas were too far off. For example, the island of Lemuria. Now, I don't really know if that's what it'll be called. But I do know, and there have been studies, that the island, made up of most of the eastern side of Africa, will emerge.
I found an article that describes how it is believed this area will form. It is a very seismically active area even today. So, the plates will obviously separate. Scientists now believe that could happen within the next 10 million years (approximately). I picture at first, it will become a channel, which in my book, I call the Nile Channel. And this article goes on to say that one day, it will become a giant ocean of it's own. This channel will be inhabited by giant sea-going crocodiles (Pinnatosuchus) and huge salt-water catfish, which I have not thought up yet. If hippos make it into the next generation, they may become the beginnings of more whale-like creatures. Though I still imagine Haliophonia (the giant sea genet) will still reign supreme as the ocean's top predator. Maybe even keeping whales in their place.
Anyway, here is the article...
Earth set to change forever: a sixth ocean “on the verge of forming”Earth set to change forever: a sixth ocean “on the verge of forming”
Story by Mario Sáez,Joe Brennan
A geological phenomenon is occurring in the heart of East Africa that could forever alter the Earth’s map.A new ocean is in the process of forming, a consequence of tectonic movements that are splitting the African continent. This event, which could happen in the next five to ten million years, will mark the creation of a sixth ocean, an unprecedented geological event in our planet’s recent history.
Could Earth get another ocean?
Currently, Earth is mostly covered by water, with five recognised oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans. However, scientists predict that a sixth ocean could emerge due to the separation of the Somali Plate from the Nubian Plate in a region known as the Great Rift Valley, which stretches from Ethiopia to Mozambique.
This geological process, driven by the Earth’s internal forces, is due to the divergence of tectonic plates that are splitting the African continent. In some areas, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, cracks and fissures have already formed on the Earth’s surface, indicating that the separation is underway.
As the plates continue to move, it is expected that the Horn of Africa will break away from the rest of the continent, allowing the Indian Ocean to flood the area and form a new body of water.
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