would be roughly the same amount of water that fills lake michigan. this is an aerial graph of the rift continuing to form and continues to elongate at a rapid pace. especially in the past month or so, we have had this particular region extend by about five to ten kilometers in a short period of time. and it's clearly seen in this visible satellite image. you can actually see how it continues to widen. the issue going forward, a lot of people asking why is this a big deal. well, this is a popular shipping lane, shipping area. and also an area for natural gas exploration. we have ships assigned and you can see the potential problem there floating around. very scary. >> thank you. >> and thank you for watching "cnn newsroom." i'm natalie allen. >> and i'm george howell. the news continues here after the break.