Somalia

History

3.7 billion years ago

Some of the oldest rocks in Africa formed; they now lie within this plate's boundary as mapped.

3.3 billion years ago

Some of the oldest rocks on this plate formed, now in northeast Madagascar.

183 million years ago

Rifting and vast lava floods began to split Africa from Antarctica and Madagascar.

167.5 million years ago

Madagascar, with India and Antarctica, began to pull away from Africa as new ocean floor formed.

87.6 million years ago

India broke away from Madagascar, which stayed with Africa.

30.4 million years ago

Rifting began in the north of the East African Rift, the first step in splitting this plate from the Africa plate.

18.5 million years ago

New ocean floor began to form in the Gulf of Aden, splitting this plate from Arabia.

Sources: Zeh, Gerdes and Millonig 2011, Journal of the Geological Society 168:953 · Schofield et al. 2010, Precambrian Research 182:187 · Tuck-Martin, Adam and Eagles 2018, Basin Research 30:1118 · Mueller and Jokat 2019, Tectonophysics 750:301 · Storey et al. 1995, Science 267:852 · Macgregor 2015, Journal of African Earth Sciences 101:232 · ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart v2024/12 (Cohen et al. 2013, updated), stratigraphy.org · Bosworth, Huchon and McClay 2005, Journal of African Earth Sciences 43:334