The rifting and growing number of hot-spots in Africa is due to the intense geological activity in the eastern part of the continent. The eastern part of Africa is moving away in an eastward direction from the mainland, thus creating rifting, and as it moves away more and more the rifts are becoming bigger, and eventually will be filled with ocean water. Because of the rifting, the crust in this part is weaker and thinner, which enables the high pressure and high temperature from the mantle to easily penetrate through it, thus creating an ever growing number of hot-spots.
