GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A rift valley is a lowland region that forms where Earth’s tectonic plates move apart, or rift. Rift valleys are found both on land and at the bottom of the ocean, where they are created by the process of seafloor spreading.

Detailed explanation-2: -Areas where plates are colliding form convergent boundaries, and areas where plates are expanding create divergent boundaries. Rift valleys are formed by divergent boundaries that involve continental plates.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Great Rift Valley is the well known rift valley in the world. It stretches from the Middle East in the north to Mozambique in the south. It is well known for volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, and frequent earthquakes.

Detailed explanation-4: -A divergent plate boundary often forms a mountain chain known as a ridge. This feature forms as magma escapes into the space between the spreading tectonic plates.

Detailed explanation-5: -The term Great Rift Valley is most often used to refer to the valley of the East African Rift, the divergent plate boundary which extends from the Afar Triple Junction southward through eastern Africa, and is in the process of splitting the African Plate into two new and separate plates.