Scientists discover huge tectonic boundary that shook the ground where dinosaurs once stood

23 April 2026

Scientists have discovered a Jurassic tectonic plate boundary that could help to predict what the planet might look like millions of years into the future.

Dr Jordan Phethean, Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences at the University of Derby, is part of a team of researchers that has unveiled a previously unrecognised, major tectonic feature of Earth, in East Africa.

The new structure, which has been likened to an ancient version of the San Andreas fault in California, was partially responsible for the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana 180 million years ago in the Jurassic period.

Experts, including colleagues from the University of Derby, Durham University, University of Edinburgh and University of Plymouth, have called this structure the 'Rovuma Transform Margin'.

Located near the coast of Mozambique and Tanzania, the Rovuma Transform Margin is more than 500 km long and forms the boundary between the continent and the ocean in that region.

This structure represents a "giant scar in planet Earth" where two tectonic plates - East Gondwana and West Gondwana - ripped themselves apart in the Jurassic period.

Dr Phethean said:

"We discovered this new structure using the seismic reflection technique, which is similar to a 'giant ultrasound scan' of the Earth, and gravity data collected from satellites orbiting the Earth.

"Earthquakes from this 500 km long prehistoric fault line would have certainly trembled the ground beneath where dinosaurs roamed for more than 50 million years.

"Our findings will allow us to better understand plate motions and predict what the planet might look like millions of years into the future. If humans still exist, this will significantly impact the types of climate they are subject to and what resources are available."

Dr Phethean said that the findings could also offer new clues about the origins of the region's offshore natural resources, including potential green energy resources such as geothermal energy. He said:

"We will be able to use the findings from this to understand where small fragments of Gondwana have been stranded across the ocean. These fragments could host important natural resources.

"The discovery also provides great insight into why the region has such abundant offshore natural resources, which will benefit the economic development of Tanzania and Mozambique.

"It helps inform our understanding of the Earth's subsurface structure and tectonics overall, which contributes to our ability to capture and safely store greenhouse gases beneath the ground, as well as to find carbon neutral geothermal energy sources."

The discovery also contributes to scientists' understanding of plate tectonic theory, according to Dr Phethean. He said:

"A debate about the precise location of the continent-ocean transition and what the structure of the Earth was in this location has been ongoing since the 1980s, so this discovery puts that argument to bed."

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