The Arbonian Sea

[Image: Dallol, Afar Desert, Ethiopia].

A brand new ocean basin has formed in the Afar Desert of northeastern Ethiopia. Following an earthquake in September 2005, the remote desert region simply split: "the split is the beginning of a long process, which will eventually lead to Ethiopia's eastern part tearing off from the rest of Africa, a sea forming in the gap."

Soon the basin will flood; someday it will be an ocean.

Already it's thirteen feet wide.

[Image: "Ash and pumice was thrown out at vent sites along the 60km segment." BBC].

If you're hoping to sail across it, however, you'll have to wait at least a million years. (Something I'm fully prepared to do, by the way).

And maybe Leah Beeferman can map the future coastline...?

(Via Archinect's resident aquaman, Javier Arbona).