Tag Archives: Mike Daly

14May/26

Continental Rifting and Tectonic Plate Formation in Zambia

A Continent Divided: How Zambia’s Hot Springs Point to the Birth of a New Ocean

Thur, May 14 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — Geologists have discovered unambiguous evidence that the Earth’s crust is actively splitting apart in Zambia’s Kafue Rift, a segment of the 2,500-kilometer-long Southwest African Rift System (SWARS). By analyzing the gases bubbling up from geothermal springs, researchers found unusually high ratios of Helium-3 to Helium-4, along with carbon dioxide signatures that match the mantle. This unique chemical fingerprint proves that these gases are escaping directly from the semi-molten mantle—located between 40 and 160 kilometers below ground—indicating that the faults have successfully fractured the entire crust. Continue reading