Researchers discover possibilities of new ocean, African continent splitting in 2  Researchers have discovered that the tectonic plate shifts in Ethiopia indicate that the African continent is splitting in two, paving the way for the emergence of the sixth ocean on Earth. The shift between tectonic plates has been ongoing since the East African Rift – a 35-mile-long crack in Ethiopia’s desert – emerged in 2005. While the splitting of the African continent and the subsequent ocean that would arise holds an abundance of possibilities, the continent will not completely split for...