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Great Rift Valley Facts & Worksheets

The Great Rift Valley is part of a well-known geologically active system in East Africa that includes volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, and earthquakes.

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The Great Rift Valley is part of a well-known geologically active system that includes volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, and earthquakes. It represents continuous rift valleys stretching from Lebanon in the Middle East to Mozambique in Southeast Africa.

See the fact file below for more information on the Great River Valley, or you can download our 29-page Great River Valley worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

INTRODUCTION TO RIFT VALLEYS

  • A rift valley forms when tectonic plates in the earth move apart, or rift, by sinking or lifting against each other. They are present both above and below the ground, with rift valleys inland caused by tectonic activity and rift valleys formed at the bottom of the ocean caused by seafloor spreading.
  • Rift valleys are usually caused by a divergent boundary, a border wherein three tectonic plates meet and interact at about 120-degree angles. This point forming the rift valley is called a “triple junction.”
  • Two arms of a triple junction can split to form an entire ocean, and the remaining third arm (called an aulacogen) can become a rift valley.
    • Example: The third arm (aulacogen) that formed the Benue Trough rift valley was caused by two arms of a triple junction on the supercontinent Pangaea that created and opened the ocean.
  • Rift valleys can be formed through the boundary between two tectonic plates, known as transform faults when these tectonic plates grind past each other.
    • Example: The Salton Trough rift valley was created in part by the San Andreas Fault, a transform fault.
  • Mid-ocean ridges are naturally produced when two oceanic plates start moving away from each other. Some of these ridges create the deepest rift valleys on Earth underwater. 
    • Example: The East Pacific Rise is a mid-ocean ridge.
  • Some active rift valleys can also be found on the continental lithosphere, such as the East African Rift, Baikal Rift Valley, Rio Grande Rift, and West Antarctic Rift.
    • The East African Rift is a part of the systems of the Great Rift Valley.
  • Rift lakes are formed from plate tectonics separating the Earth’s crust and water collecting in the depression.
    • Example: Lake Baikal, a rift lake over the Baikal Rift Valley.

THE SYSTEM OF THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY

  • The Great Rift Valley, with its rifts and faults, while initially thought to be a single system, is considered to be distinct and connected and formed 35 million years ago.
  • Here is a description of the parts consisting of the Great Rift Valley’s rift system:
  • Rift Valley. This northern part of the system extends from the region of Golan Heights to the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.
  • Red Sea Rift is a mid-ocean ridge between the African plate and the Arabian plate. The Arabian plate formed it, and the African plate drifted apart due to seafloor spreading. This mid-ocean ridge meets the East African Rift at its south.
  • The Red Sea is one of the saltiest bodies in the world. The distinctive color of the water is caused by Trichodesmium erythraeum, a cyanobacteria. When this algae dies off, it turns the blue-green waters into reddish-brown.
  • East African Rift (EAR). Also called the Afro-Arabian Rift Valley, it is an active continental rift zone located in East Africa.
  • This rift is a developing divergent tectonic plate boundary splitting the Somali and Nubian plates.
  • This rift system is home to a lot of active and dormant volcanoes. Its activities also affect the global climate.
  • The EAR is divided into two major rift valley systems: the Gregory Rift (Eastern Rift Valley) and the Western Rift (Albertine Rift).
  • Lying within the Mozambique belt and named after John Walter Gregory, who started exploring the rift in 1892-1893, the Gregory Rift extends from the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, until the south, meeting Mount Kilimanjaro.
  • The Gregory Rift is characterized by its high volcanic activity, which started around 30 million years ago in the central Ethiopian plateau.
  • This rift also caused the formation of the Afar Triple Junction, wherein the Arabian, Nubian, and Somali plates separated.
  • The Western Rift, also known as the Albertine Rift, stretches around the end of Lake Albert and the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. It covers the parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania.
  • This rift is caused by the Somali plate splitting away from the rest of Africa through tectonic movements. It is characterized by deeper basins and a series of lakes and wetlands. It is also one of the most biodiverse regions in the African continent.
  • Highland forests, snow-capped mountains, and savannas are also found in this section of the Rift Valley system. Some of the mountains include the following: Lendu Plateau, Rwenzori Mountains, Virunga Mountains, Mount Stanley, Mount Speke, and Mount Baker. Some of the lakes include the following: Lake Albert, Lake Edward, Lake Kivu, and Lake Tanganyika.
  • The Albertine Rift montane forests in east-central Africa is a tropical moist forest ecoregion home to different Afromontane forests enriched with biodiversity.

NOTABLE DETAILS ABOUT GREAT RIFT VALLEY

  • The Great Rift Valley is ideal for scientific discovery and research on evolution as it covers areas in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire. The East African Rift was named the “cradle of humanity” as many paleoanthropological discoveries were unearthed here.
    • Two of the most notable discoveries were the 3.2 million-year-old hominin skeleton in Ethiopia named “Lucy” and the 1.5 million-year-old hominin skeleton in Kenya named “Turkana Boy.”
  • Some lakes and mountains that are part of the Great Rift Valley are given different superlatives:
    • Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater lake in Africa, the world’s largest tropical lake, and the world’s second-largest freshwater lake by its surface area.
    • Lake Tanganyika is the world’s second-deepest and second-biggest lake in the world by the volume of freshwater.
    • Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.
  • The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is developing a geothermal energy program to utilize the potential power source and turn it into electricity with the many volcanic and tectonic activities in the East African Rift. This could create a sustainable energy source, especially for nearby residents and communities without electricity access.
  • Significant earthquakes within the Great Rift Valley include the following: the Galilee earthquake in 1837, the Gulf of Aqaba earthquake in 1995, the Lake Tanganyika earthquake in 2005, the Mozambique earthquake in 2006, and the Lake Kivu earthquake in 2008.

Great Rift Valley Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Great Rift Valley across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Great Rift Valley. It represents continuous rift valleys stretching from Lebanon in the Middle East to Mozambique in Southeast Africa.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Great Rift Valley Facts
  2. Match the Map
  3. Rift Wordle
  4. Where In the Great Rift?
  5. The Best Facts
  6. Bingo Box! Rift Valley
  7. Um, Actually, Valleys!
  8. More Great Rift Valley
  9. Tectonic Preparedness
  10. Volcanic Preparedness
  11. Cradle of Humanity

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Great Rift Valley?

The Great Rift Valley is a geological feature that stretches over 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) from northern Syria to central Mozambique in Africa. It is a series of interconnected geological faults and rifts caused by tectonic plate movements. The valley is known for its dramatic landscapes, including deep valleys, steep cliffs, and volcanic formations.

What tectonic activity is responsible for the formation of the Great Rift Valley?

The formation of the Great Rift Valley is primarily attributed to the movement of tectonic plates. It’s the result of the African Plate splitting into two parts, the East African Rift and the West African Rift. The East African Rift is the more prominent and active branch, where the African Plate is slowly pulling apart, causing the rift valley to widen and creating a diverse range of geological features.

What countries are located within the Great Rift Valley?

The Great Rift Valley runs through several countries in Eastern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. It also extends into parts of Djibouti and Eritrea. The valley encompasses a variety of ecosystems, cultures, and wildlife, making it a significant area of biodiversity.

What are some notable features within the Great Rift Valley?

The Great Rift Valley is known for several remarkable features, such as:

  • Lakes: Some of the world’s deepest and oldest lakes are found within the valley, including Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Malawi.
  • Mountains and Volcanoes: The valley is home to several mountains and volcanoes, like Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. Ol Doinyo Lengai, an active volcano, is known for its unique carbonatite lava.
  • Wildlife: The valley’s diverse landscapes support a wide range of wildlife, including iconic species like elephants, lions, and giraffes.
  • Paleontological Sites: The valley has yielded numerous fossil discoveries, contributing to our understanding of human evolution.

What is the significance of the Great Rift Valley?

The Great Rift Valley is of great scientific, cultural, and ecological importance. It provides insights into Earth’s geological processes and the evolution of continents. Its diverse ecosystems support a wide array of plant and animal species. Additionally, the valley holds cultural significance for the local communities living there, as it has shaped their histories, traditions, and ways of life. It’s also a popular destination for researchers, travelers, and tourists due to its breathtaking landscapes and rich natural heritage.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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