WATCH: A giant crack has split the earth in Kenya, terrifying many who live in the area. But what's causing it? http://cbsn.ws/2GXFfTg | CBS News

The East African Rift is a significant tectonic rift that is gradually splitting the eastern part of Africa from the rest of the continent. This rift is part of the larger Great Rift Valley system, and it's caused by the movement of tectonic plates beneath the Earth's surface. Over millions of years, this rifting process could eventually lead to the formation of a new ocean, separating the eastern part of Africa (including countries like Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia) from the rest of the contin