The Afar region won't become a deep ocean

The Afar region, located in northeast Africa, is a low-lying area where the altitude reaches up to 174 m below sea level. This is due to the separation of the African and Arabian plates. It is also the site of the discovery of Lucy's skeleton. If Afar is notable in geology, it's because research suggests that, contrary to expectations, central Afar is unlikely ever to become a deep ocean.