A new fault zone has been discovered by geologists southwest of Portugal that will eventually cause the Atlantic Ocean to disappear and reunite the continents of America and Europe. The southern coasts of Spain and Portugal are frequently shaken by earthquakes, and geologists have now discovered a massive fault zone that will swallow the ocean floor over millions of years, reuniting the continents. The fault zone is spreading from the Mediterranean Sea into the Atlantic Ocean, caused by the deep rift in the Mediterranean seabed as the African continent moves towards Europe. The forces behind this movement are also responsible for the volcanoes of Mount Etna and Vesuvius.
The Atlantic Ocean is currently expanding, increasing the distance between America and Africa and Europe. However, the age of the Atlantic Ocean is coming to an end, and it is now an old ocean. The geologists used sound waves to scan the ocean floor off the coasts of Spain and Portugal, covering an area the size of Germany. They discovered a crumple zone that stretches across the ocean floor, indicating the formation of a new fault zone that will eventually swallow the Atlantic Ocean over thousands of kilometers.
According to João Duarte, a geologist at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, the Atlantic Ocean’s heyday is over, and it is now an old ocean. The discovery of this new fault zone is significant, as it sheds light on the geological processes that shape our planet. While the reunification of America and Europe may take millions of years, it is a reminder that our planet is constantly changing, and we must continue to study and understand these changes to better prepare for the future.
