Zone of Thinning Earth’s Crust Discovered

Scientists have identified signs of active crustal thinning in the Turkana region of northern Kenya, which is part of the East African Rift system.

In this area, the continental crust is thinning along the axis of the rift, and its current thickness is about 12.7 kilometers. According to research, active wedge-shaped thinning of the Earth’s crust in the Turkana region began approximately 4 million years ago.

The changes have become concentrated along several major faults, while the rate of extension has increased. In the Shor’s fault system, it averages about 1.2 mm per year, while along the Lapur fault it is approximately 0.55 mm per year.