Tulane researchers uncover why some continents resist breaking apart

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Tulane scientists helped uncover why some continents resist splitting apart.

Study focused on the East African Rift between Kenya and Ethiopia.

Findings show ancient heating removed water and CO₂, strengthening the crust.

Research may improve earthquake hazard models and resource exploration.

Tulane University scientists, working with an international research team, have identified why some sections of the Earth’s crust remain stable while others fracture — a discovery that challenges long-held geological theories about how continents split apart.

The findings, published this week in , stem from a study of the East African Rift, one of the few places where continental breakup can be observed in real time. Researchers focused on the Turkana Depression, a region b