This is a very recent aerial shot of the #Nakuru-Segor highway completely overwhelmed by the ongoing rising of the floodwaters of #LakeBaringo, #Kenya. I shared much detail on these events on Twitter last year and was viciously trolled.

So I am very reluctant to continue to discuss this matter via social media. However, many of you have once again DM'd me asking to share insights on some of the ongoing challenges in the region.

I'm a UK based hydrogeologist and I have spent 6 years researching the water systems in the rift valley between #Naivasha & #Baringo. #Kenya is located in one of the most scientifically important places on the planet.

The reason its so fascinating is, as some of you have pointed out, the African continent is breaking up, the Rift Valley! It is the only place on Earth where scientists can observe & research the processes of active continental break up, with ease of access.

Most evidence is under the sea. And the last known {major] continental break up began about 175 million years ago with the break up of the supercontinent Pangea.

So, yes, scientists believe that the rift valley will one day become an ocean, this is not going to happen for 1000's to millions of years yet, so no need to worry! But what is happening now? Let's clear some things up first.

The flooding is not due to the movement of the tectonic plates. The plates are moving, very slowly, but even a significant earthquake (significant by the @USGS definition is anything stronger than a Magnitude 4.0), would not cause this flooding.

The development of your geothermal resources is not responsible for the flooding either. The geothermal requires water to be removed from the underground not added. It is the addition of a huge amount of water that is an issue here, that I will go into a bit more later.

It is also not down to the geothermal steam or vapor that goes into the atmosphere that causes more rain, there simply is not enough of it to cause such a dramatic change. Someone mentioned de-pressurization in the sub-surface.