A Geologic Safari of the East African Rift

A Geologic Safari of the East African Rift and the Newark Basin: Why these areas are more alike than you know Margaret H. Benoit The College of New Jersey 1

East Africa Rift Location of a continental Rift that began spreading Approximately 20 million Years ago USGS http: //pubs. usgs. gov/gip/dynamic. html 2

Currently, the East African Rift is considered a young continental rift zone USGS http: //pubs. usgs. gov/gip/dynamic. html 3

If rifting continues, seafloor spreading will occur USGS http: //pubs. usgs. gov/gip/dynamic. html 4

Major fault structures in East Africa Map from Ashley et al. , 2004 5

The Rift Valley http: //zedaway. com/photos/tanzania/riftvalley. jpg http: //www. fas. org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect 3/originals/Fig 3_2. gif Cross section of rift graben structure Photo of rift escarpment In Tanzania 6

Faults in East Africa Photo of Derek Kier taken by Julie Rowland, University of Auckland http: //homepages. see. leeds. ac. uk/%7 Eeartjw/dabbahu/fig 10_thumb. jpg 7

More Ethiopian Faults Photo by Cindy Ebinger, U. of Rochester http: //www. see. leeds. ac. uk/afar_images_web/fig 6_thumbw. jpg 8

East Africa Seismicity Figure by Andy Nyblade, Penn State 9

Volcanoes in East Africa Here is a Map showing Historically active Volcanoes in East Africa USGS: http: //pubs. usgs. gov/publications/text/East_Africa. html 10

Volcanoes in Ethiopia Google Earth image http: //i 280. photobucket. com/albums/kk 171/volcanism/ethiopia/ethvolc. jpg 11

Erta Ale - most active volcano in rift http: //farm 4. static. flickr. com/3212/2455969983_967 a 23 a 8 a 1_o. jpg Other volcanoes http: //www. volcano. si. edu/ 12

False color images of topographic measurements taken by the Space Shuttle of volcanoes in Eritrea and Ethiopia http: //photojournal. jpl. nasa. gov/jpeg/PIA 04953. jpg 13

Lava at Erte Ale Tom Pfeiffer, Volcano Discovery Courtesy of Guy de Saint-Cyr, Aventure et Volcans. http: //www. volcano. si. edu/volcanoes/region 02/red_sea/ ertaale/3306_17 s. jpg ertaale/2612_08 s. jpg 14

Fissure Eruptions Photo Elizabeth Baker, Royal Holloway, University of London http: //www. see. leeds. ac. uk/afar_images_web/fig 4_thumbw. jpg 15

Fissures in Ethiopia Photo by Anthony Philpotts http: //www. volcano. si. edu/volcanoes/region 02/red_sea/dabbahu/3009_04 s. jpg 16

Dike in Kenya Photo by Alex Guth, Michigan Tech. http: //geology. com/articles/east-africa-rift/hells-gate-dike-400. jpg 17

Rift Valley Lakes The rift valley is home to many lakes Sea. Wi. FS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center http: //visibleearth. nasa. gov/view_rec. php? id=757 From Ashley et al. , 2004 18

Next: Geo. Map. App Activity Explore feature within East Africa Rift using Geo. Map. App and available geologic data Move to geomapapp. doc 19