Earth and Environment Atlas

How The Planet Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Geological Formations

Rift Valley

Structural and Tectonic Formations

Citation Formats

General Reference

APA Style

BibTeX

A rift valley is a linear lowland lying between highlands or mountain ranges, produced where extensional tectonics pull the lithosphere apart along a geologic rift and the resulting depression is further deepened by erosion. Rift valleys often accumulate thick sedimentary deposits and hold lakes; the East African Rift is one of the best known examples of the process at work.

Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.

View At A Past Year

The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.