A massive piece of East Africa will break off from the main continent, although certainly not in our lifetimes, according to a groundbreaking new study. Scientists have obsesrved a huge tear that is opening up in Kenya’s Rift Valley due to heavy rains and seismic activity that could cause the giant chunk of land to separate from Africa in tens of millions of years.

Scientists noticed the huge crakc back on March 19, and it is 50 feet wide and a few miles long. It is also continuing to grow at a rapid pace, and is a clear sign that plate tectonics under Africa are going through some very big changes that could change the face of our planet sometime in the future.

The East African Rift separates the main African Plate from the long, vertical piece of eastern Africa known as the Somali Plate. The East African Rift stretches a staggering 1,800 miles, or 3,000 kilometers.

“The Great Rift splits Africa into two plates. With what is happening we have established one plate which is the Somali plate is moving away from the other plate at a rate of 2.5cm. In the near future if this happens we shall have Somali plate separating from the other Nubian plate,” said geologist David Adede, who was quoted in the Kenyan newspaper The Star. “There is a great need for researchers to conduct a comprehensive study on the terrain of this region so that they can advise on where roads and residential buildings can be established. This can play a key role in dealing with such natural disasters should they happen.”