The Red Sea is parting again, but this time no one can help. Satellite pictures show that the Arabian plate and the African plate are moving away from each other, stretching the Earth's crust and widening the southern end of the Red Sea. Last September, series of earthquakes started splitting the planet's surface in Ethiopia. Over a period of three weeks, the sides on the rift separated by 26 feet. "We think that the crust is melted slowly at depths greater than 10 kilometers, where it is hotter, forming molten rock," said Tim J Wright. "This molten rock rises through the crust because it is less dense than the surrounding rock." The molten rock collects at depths of 3 to 5 kilometers. Wright explained, "Slowly, the pressure has been building up until last September when it finally cracked, breaking the crust." The entry of molten rock into the gap between continents, rather than the cracking of the crust, is responsible for separation of continent drifts. For the past 30 million years Africa and Arabia have been going through the continental rifting process, the same one that made the Red Sea part again. "The ground is continually moving---much more rapidly now than before," Wright said. "On average, the two sides move apart at about 2 centimeters per year." This latest split, added to the long-term rifting process could eventually create a huge new sea. Although such processes could take millions of years to occur, this event has given scientists an opportunity to examine the break in real time. According to the passage, what caused Arabia separate from Africa?
A series of earthquakes. Molten rock flowing into the continental gap. The cracking of the crust. The pressure under the ground.
Question: The Red Sea is parting again, but this time no one can help. Satellite pictures show that the Arabian plate and the African plate are moving away from each other, stretching the Earth's crust and widening the southern end of the Red Sea. Last September, series of earthquakes started splitting the planet's surface in Ethiopia. Over a period of three weeks, the sides on the rift separated by 26 feet. "We think that the crust is melted slowly at depths greater than 10 kilometers, where it is hotter, forming molten rock," said Tim J Wright. "This molten rock rises through the crust because it is less dense than the surrounding rock." The molten rock collects at depths of 3 to 5 kilometers. Wright explained, "Slowly, the pressure has been building up until last September when it finally cracked, breaking the crust." The entry of molten rock into the gap between continents, rather than the cracking of the crust, is responsible for separation of continent drifts. For the past 30 million years Africa and Arabia have been going through the continental rifting process, the same one that made the Red Sea part again. "The ground is continually moving---much more rapidly now than before," Wright said. "On average, the two sides move apart at about 2 centimeters per year." This latest split, added to the long-term rifting process could eventually create a huge new sea. Although such processes could take millions of years to occur, this event has given scientists an opportunity to examine the break in real time. According to the passage, what caused Arabia separate from Africa?
A. A series of earthquakes.
B. Molten rock flowing into the continental gap.
C. The cracking of the crust.
D. The pressure under the ground.
Answer: