A long, narrow valley formed by the sinking of land between two parallel faults or fractures in the Earth's crust. Created when the land drops down between two fault lines.
From 'rift' (a crack or split) and 'valley.' The term emerged in the early 20th century when geologists studying East Africa recognized these distinctive linear depressions formed by tectonic activity.
The East African Rift Valley is literally splitting Africa apart – in about 10 million years, the eastern part of Africa will break off to form a new continent! This same process created the Red Sea, which is actually a rift valley filled with water.
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