This fascinating deep scar in the earths crust that. In this video, i compiled some info and pictures to demonstrate how the east african rift valley is formed. Weve established that rift valleys are formed due to a splitting in the earths crust. The 10 best restaurants in rift valley province updated. Rift lakes, formed as freshwater floods rift valleys, often mark rift valley systems. It was formed when 350,000 cubic miles of volcanic rock poured out of the rift and formed the beautiful cliffs around lake superior. It is approximately 6,000 kilometres long and is famous for stunningly beautiful sweeping scenes of valleys, lakes and escarpments. Africas great rift valley, 2001, isbn 0810906023 tribesofthegreatriftvalley,2007,isbn9780810994119 east african rift valley lakes, 2006, oclc 76876862 photographic atlas of the midatlantic ridge rift valley,1977,isbn0387902473 riftvalleyfever.
The great rift valley or rift valley runs for the full extent, from jordan and the dead sea to the red sea and across into ethiopia and the denakil plain. Budget travel in great rift valley budget travel guide. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it is considered an imprecise merging of separate though related rift and fault systems. Introduction to rift valleys excerpt from national geographic education. The great rift valley synonyms, the great rift valley pronunciation, the great rift valley translation, english dictionary definition of the great rift valley. Many rift valleys are part of triple junctions, a type of divergent boundary where three tectonic plates meet at about 120 angles.
It runs from n syria, through the jordan valley and the dead sea, and then continues as the trough of the red sea through e africa to the lower valley of the zambezi river in mozambique. This film reveals how the formation of the rift valley. The great rift valley is part of the world rift system and shows a great similarity with oceanic rifts. Documentary about the lakes of the great rift valley in east africa. A rift valley is a landform whose formation is triggered by a geologic. The great rift valley is a long line of escarpments that have been created by two tectonic plates drifting apart. Why this giant crack opened up in kenyas rift valley. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it is. I am not a geologist but i taught geography in africa for three years near the rift valley, near manyara and tarangiri. African music has been very influential in the development of american blues, jazz, and popular music. Contained within this dramatic rift system are notable sites like mount kenya and mount kilimanjaro.
The atlantic ocean, for instance, is a result of a triple junction that started in what is now the gulf of guinea on the. The rift valley is one of the wonders of the world, stretching from the middle east, down through africa, reaching as far as mozambique. Learn east africa great rift valley with free interactive flashcards. This geographic trench starts in lebanons beqaa valley reaching along the african continent all the way to mozambique. The east african rift valley, as the region is known, formed where the somalian and nubian plates. Stretching from the arabian penninsula into the southern african country of zimbabwe the great rift valley of africa was formed and is still changing when the great land mass of gondwanaland began to split into separate. What important factors caused the great rift valley and. It is part of the gregory rift, the eastern branch of the east african rift, which starts in tanzania to the south and continues northward into ethiopia. Rift valley, great synonyms, rift valley, great pronunciation, rift valley, great translation, english dictionary definition of rift valley, great. The third, failed rift or aulacogen, may become a rift valley. The valley varies in width from 30100 km and in depth from a few hundred to several thousand metres. Formed by the movement of the earths crust the great rift valley plays host to the greatest wildlife preserves on earth.
In the opinion of some geologists, the general cause of the development of the rifts, volcanic activity, and seismicity in the rift valley is the breakup of the subcrusted matter of the upper mantle as a consequence of the heat flow from. The great rift valley is a geological fault, almost 5,000 km in extention from north syria to the central parts of mozambique. The rift is bordered by a series of mountains and active volcanoes. The great rift valley represents what type of geological. A rift valley is a huge fracture on continental and oceanic plates which widens gradually over extensive periods of times. A graben is a fallen portion of land with faults on 2 or more sides.
The great rift valley comprises one such vast expanse, stretching across thousands of miles from mozambique to the middle east. Great rift valley simple english wikipedia, the free. It is a site of faults and earthquakes basically, the western part of africa is rifting away from the eastern part body. The east african rift, is a divergent plate boundary where the east african plate is being separated into two separate plates. Formation of a rift valley east african rift valley using plasticine. Two major rift valleys occur on the land surface, or in the continental crust. A rift valley is a linearshaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift or fault. Rift valley great rift valley steepsided, flatfloored valley in sw asia and e africa. The discovery of the great rift valley, where africa is. The east african rift, also called the great rift valley in east africa, is the largest continental rift valley on earth, stretching. The great rift valley is filled with hot springs, geysers and has multiple earthquakes each year. The great rift valley ranges in elevation from 1,300 ft 395 m below sea level at the dead sea to 6,000 ft 1,830 m above sea level in southern kenya. How was the great rift valley formed, and what landforms. It extends from south africa, along the eastern region, and up to the arabian peninsula.
While its one of the largest, the east african rift isnt the only geological formation of its kind. The name continues in some usages, although it is today considered geologically imprecise as it combines features. The east african rift system ears is one the geologic wonders of the world, a place where the earths tectonic forces are presently trying to create new plates. Next, it goes through kenya particularly lakes rudolf turkana, naivasha, and magadi, into tanzania where because of erosion of the eastern edge it is less obvious, along the shire river. David hilton on an adventure to the east african rift valley and learn how. A go through the same number of degrees, but the second number goes up more miles than the first and decreases the legal time on the route.
Rift valley, any elongated trough formed by the subsidence of a segment of the earths crust between dipslip, or normal, faults. Deep rift valleys, active volcanoes, and hot springs are dramatic. The great rift valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately 6,000 kilometres 3,700 mi in total length, that runs from the beqaa valley in lebanon which is in asia to mozambique in southeast africa. The great rift valley is a name given to the continuous geographical trench, about 6,000 kilometres 3,700 mi in length, that runs from northern syria in southwest asia to central mozambique in east africa. The great rift valley is comprised of the great rift, jordan rift, red sea rift, east african rift, gregory rift and the western rift. One of its most dramatic sections slices through east africa, dividing kenya into two segments. Great rift valley article about great rift valley by the. The staggering view, as you approach from nairobi, kenya is quite unbelievable. One of the african continents most impressive features is the great rift valley. Olduvai, also known as oldupai, was the site of a large lake 500,000 years ago.
A triple junction formed in the middle of the young continent, and deep rift valley developed. The lakes of the great rift valley travel guide east africa vacation travel video guide duration. The ground suddenly disappears from under you to show the huge expanse of the great rift, stretching for thousands of miles in. Many forms and styles of music are directly or indirectly influenced by music that came from africa during the past 400 years. Receive a monthly newsletter with loads of great content. The bed of lake malawi lies below sea level, as do those of a number of the east african rift system lakes.
The mau escarpment in western kenya, for example, which gates the western side of the great rift valley, looms. Erosion has concealed some sections, but in places, notably in kenya, there are sheer cliffs several thousand feet high. Some areas frequently experience earthquakes and escarpments flank the valley to the east and west. Geologists know that the rift valley was formed by violent subterranean forces that tore apart the earth. A rift valley is formed on a divergent plate boundary, a crustal extension or spreading apart of the surface, which is subsequently further deepened by the forces of erosion. A rift valley is formed on a divergent plate boundary, a crustal extension or. The great rift valley is part of a huge geological fault in east africa. What is the difference between delta estuary lagoon bay gulf straits peninsula duration. Rift valley, great definition of rift valley, great by. The great rift valley definition of the great rift.
The great rift valley is the site of major geological activity. The great rift valley olduvai gorge, in tanzanias great rift valley, is one of the most important sites for the study of human evolution. Two arms of the triple junction can split to form an entire ocean. B travel the same number of miles, but the first number that travels more degrees than the second and increase the legal time. The great rift valley is a vast break in earths surface that runs along part of east africa. Africas great rift valley is a 6,000mile crack fissure in the earths crust, stretching from lebanon to mozambique. A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created.
East africa great rift valley flashcards and study sets. Rift valleys are a linearshaped lowlands between several highlands created by the action of a geologic fault or rift. Choose from 8 different sets of east africa great rift valley flashcards on quizlet. About 250 miles 400 kilometers wide and 2 miles 3 kilometers deep, mercurys great valley is smaller than mars valles marineris, but larger than north americas grand canyon and wider and deeper than the great rift valley in east africa. A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift or fault. Rift valley, great article about rift valley, great by. The depressed areas of a rift valley are formed by one or more grabens. The valley is part of a larger feature called the east african rift system. As it spreads apart, the land between two parallel fault lines has sunk. It was formed on the kenyan dome a geographical upwelling created by the interactions of three major tectonics. The great rift valley central bucks school district. A rift valley is formed on a divergent plate boundary, a. What was the formation process of the great rift valley.
The great rift valley is an unforgettably scenic area, featuring hot springs, geysers, and lakes, as well as volcanoes, some of which are still active. More than a billion years ago, for instance, the north american plate began a rifting process. Formation weve established that rift valleys are formed due. Spanning some 3500 miles of the african continent, from ethiopia in the north to mozambique in the south, the great rift valley is home to an astounding array of flora and fauna, including a great concentration of glassland animals amd three of the worlds. The midcontinent rift, which started but failed to split north america in two pieces 1. Lake upemba, lake mweru, lake tanganyika largest, and lake rukwa. Regarding this trip, it is correct to say that the two travelers. The rift valley of eastern africa and asia sometimes called the great rift valley grv or east african rift system ear or ears is an enormous geological split in the crust of the earth, thousands of kilometers long, up to 125 miles 200 kilometers wide, and between a few hundred to thousands of meters deep. This film reveals how the formation of the rift valley forced a crucial evolutionary step. Such a fault is a fracture in the terrestrial surface in which the rock material on the upper side of the fault plane has been displaced downward relative to the rock. The lakes of the great rift valley travel guide east.
What geologists got wrong about the worlds biggest failed. Ill just try to add to william jacksons entry if i might. It has been created through the rifting and separation of the african and arabian tectonic plates that. I wrote all three episodes of atlas 4d 2010, produced by darlow smithson productions for the discovery channel. One of the best known examples of this process is the east african rift. The great rift valley is part of an intracontinental ridge system that runs through kenya from north to south.
A rift valley is a lowland region formed by the interaction of earths tectonic plates. The great rift valley is a vast geographical and geological feature that runs north to south for some 5,000 km, from northern syria in southwest asia to central mozambique in east africa. What was once thought to be one giant 6,000mile long rift is now known to be several smaller rifts joined together. The immediate rim of the rift valley often soars 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the floor, but in some regions the elevational sweep is even more pronounced. The great rift valley stretches 3,500 miles from ethiopia to mozambique and is over 35 million years old. Great rift valley kids britannica kids homework help. This lesson offers a definition and description of rift valleys and their formation with details focusing on the east african rift system. The great rift valley is a name given in the late 19th century by british explorer john walter gregory to the continuous geographic trough, approximately 6,000 kilometres 3,700 mi in length, that runs from northern syria in southwest asia to central mozambique in east africa. The east african rift is part of the great rift valley system. Great rift valley how is great rift valley abbreviated. The great rift valley is like a jagged scar on the face of africa.
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