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Rift (geology) facts for kids

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Further information: Plate tectonics

In geology, a rift is caused by tectonic plates in the Earth's lithosphere moving apart. Rifts are usually accompanied by orogeny (mountain building), volcanoes and earthquakes. Rifting often makes a rift valley, which may hold a rift lake. The Great Rift Valley in East Africa is an example.

Riftxsection
The internal dynamics of a rift system.

A rift is the result of the pulling apart or extension of the crust and lithosphere. Mantle upwelling brings hotter asthenosphere up into the colder lithosphere. Sometime it comes out as lava. This rise occurs with the thinning and stretching of the lithosphere.

Plates tect2 en
Plates in the crust of the earth (plate tectonics theory)


Images for kids

  • Rift segmentation

    Block view of a rift formed of three segments, showing the location of the accommodation zones between them at changes in fault location or polarity (dip direction)

  • GulfofSuezRift

    Gulf of Suez Rift showing main extensional faults

  • FlankMalawi

    Topographic profile of the Malawi Lake

  • 20190621 CPH-KEF 7314 (48453477346)

    Volcano-tectonic landforms connected to rifting on Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland: faults, fissures, elongated volcanoes of subglacial origin, postglacial lava fields

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rift para niños

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