THE EAST AFRICAN RIFT AND ITS LITHOSPHERIC-SCALE TEAR

East African Rift and its specificities

The East African Rift is a lithospheric-scale tear in the Earth’s crust that runs for several thousand kilometers across the eastern part of Africa.

This large-scale rifting phenomenon is the result of continuous tectonic activity over more than 100 million years. It is accompanied by intense volcanic activity and significant sedimentation. It is precisely the combination of these three factors – tectonic, volcanic and sedimentary – that makes this context of the Great East African Rift unique.

Throughout the Rift Valley, the earth’s crust is heated by molten magma rising to the surface through volcanic fissures and cones.

There are more than sixty-seven volcanoes, but from my point of view, a dozen or so have not been identified.

Ethiopia is the first volcanic country in Africa. The best-known volcano is Erta Ale in the north of Ethiopia, located close to Eritrea. It is on this fault zone of the Great Rift Valley.

The tectonic plates are opening up to form a new ocean. Since 1967, Erta Ale has been continuously erupting with a permanent lava lake.

Review of tectonics, volcanology and geothermal activity

On 12 June 2011, a series of earthquakes hit northeastern Eritrea, with the two strongest tremors reaching 5.7 on the Richter scale, and a dozen others exceeding magnitude 4.

An eruption occurs in the area, probably near the Nabro volcano, but the exact location remains to be confirmed because of the many volcanoes in the area and its difficult access due in part to very high heat (approximately 60 degrees in summer).