The Great Rift ValleyThe Great Rift Valley

By: Chris CarlsonBy: Chris Carlson

What is it?What is it?

The Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is an enormous fault is an enormous fault in East Africain East Africa

A fault is a crack or A fault is a crack or break in Earth’s crustbreak in Earth’s crust

How big is it?How big is it?

The Great Rift Valley is about 4,000 miles The Great Rift Valley is about 4,000 miles longlong

It can be 1,300 ft. below sea levelIt can be 1,300 ft. below sea levelIt can be 6,000 ft. above sea levelIt can be 6,000 ft. above sea level

How was it created?How was it created?

1.1. Thermal bulges were formedThermal bulges were formed2.2. They fractured the crust into faultsThey fractured the crust into faults3.3. Spaces between the faults were Spaces between the faults were

filled by down-dropped rocks filled by down-dropped rocks (grabens)(grabens)

4.4. Basalt floods, lava flows that cover Basalt floods, lava flows that cover a large area, thickened the areaa large area, thickened the area

5.5. Erosion wore away some of the Erosion wore away some of the spacesspaces

How was it created? (cont.)How was it created? (cont.)

What is it like there?What is it like there?

It varies in It varies in temperature and temperature and climate climate becausebecause of it’s many of it’s many different elevations different elevations and featuresand features

How does it affect the area?How does it affect the area?

The different elevations caused East The different elevations caused East Africa to be more sensitive to climate Africa to be more sensitive to climate changechange

That lead to alternations between That lead to alternations between wet and dry periods (not seasons)wet and dry periods (not seasons)

What will happen to it in the What will happen to it in the future?future?

It will continue stretching and It will continue stretching and deepening until surrounding water deepening until surrounding water will fill itwill fill it

Then, Somalia and Africa will break Then, Somalia and Africa will break apartapart

This is what created MadagascarThis is what created Madagascar

Is there anything else like it?Is there anything else like it?

Yes, there is a Yes, there is a West Antarctic RiftWest Antarctic Rift

It is slowly It is slowly breaking West breaking West Antarctica away Antarctica away from the continentfrom the continent

Why is the Great Rift Valley so Why is the Great Rift Valley so important to Africa?important to Africa?

The rift valley’s alternating wet/dry The rift valley’s alternating wet/dry periods caused humans to become periods caused humans to become smarter so they could adaptsmarter so they could adapt

The rift valley has changed Africa’s The rift valley has changed Africa’s own geographyown geography

The rift valley elevations have The rift valley elevations have altered climates in Eastern Africaaltered climates in Eastern Africa

Sources (Info)Sources (Info)

• www.platetectonics.comwww.platetectonics.com• www.geography.howstuffworks.comwww.geography.howstuffworks.com• www.geology.comwww.geology.com• www.sciencedaily.comwww.sciencedaily.com• www.infoplease.comwww.infoplease.com

Sources (pictures)Sources (pictures)

• www.sciencedaily.comwww.sciencedaily.com

• www.amazon.co.ukwww.amazon.co.uk

• www.geology.comwww.geology.com

• www.pyroda.gov.uawww.pyroda.gov.ua