The Great Rift Valley

1. The Great Rift ValleyThe Great Rift Valley
By: Chris CarlsonBy: Chris Carlson

2. 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

3. 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 level
It can be 6,000 ft. above sea levelIt can be 6,000 ft. above sea level

4. How was it created?How was it created?
1.1.Thermal bulges were formedThermal bulges were formed
2.2.They fractured the crust into faultsThey fractured the crust into faults
3.3.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

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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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