Can rift valleys be in water?
Many of Earth’s deepest rift valleys are found underwater, dividing long mountain ranges called mid-ocean ridges. Geologic activity beneath the underwater rift valley creates these vents, which spew super-heated water and vent fluids into the ocean.
Which is an example of a rift valley?
The Thingvellir fracture zone at Thingvellir National Park in southwestern Iceland is an example of a rift valley. The Thingvellir fracture lies in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which extends through the centre of Iceland. Other notable examples include the Baikal Rift Valley (Russia) and the Rhine Rift Valley (Germany).
What is a rift water?
In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics. Where rifts remain above sea level they form a rift valley, which may be filled by water forming a rift lake.
What are the two types of rift valley?
The two branches are called the Western Rift Valley and the Eastern Rift Valley. The Western Rift, also called the Albertine Rift, is bordered by some of the highest mountains in Africa, including the Virunga Mountains, Mitumba Mountains, and Ruwenzori Range.
Is Lake Victoria a rift valley lake?
Lake Victoria (elevation 1,134 metres (3,720 ft)), with an area of 68,800 square kilometres (26,600 sq mi), is the largest lake in Africa. It is not in the rift valley, instead occupying a depression between the eastern and western rifts formed by the uplift of the rifts to either side.
What does a rift valley look like?
A rift valley is a lowland region formed by the interaction of Earth’s tectonic plates. This small rift valley has a typical formation—long, narrow, and deep. Two arms of the triple junction can split to form an entire ocean. The third, “failed rift” or aulacogen, may become a rift valley.
Where is the Rift valley?
Eastern Africa
The Rift Valley, located in Eastern Africa, covers just over 2% of the continent and spreads over seven countries (Map 5 and Table 29). min. max. The Rift Valley consists of a group of independent interior basins, extending from Djibouti in the north to Tanzania in the south, nearly half being located in Ethiopia.
What is the meaning of Rift Valley lake?
The Rift Valley lakes are a series of lakes in the East African Rift valley that runs through eastern Africa from Ethiopia in the north to Malawi in the south, and includes the African Great Lakes in the south.
How is a rift lake formed?
A rift lake is a lake formed as a result of subsidence related to movement on faults within a rift zone, an area of extensional tectonics in the continental crust. They are often found within rift valleys and may be very deep. Rift lakes may be bounded by large steep cliffs along the fault margins.