Can a rift valley be formed on the continental crust?

Two arms of a triple junction on the supercontinent Pangaea “opened” the ocean, while the aulacogen formed the rift valley known as the Benue Trough through what is now southern Nigeria. Rift valleys can also form at transform faults, where tectonic plates are grinding past each other. read more

The East African Rift, the Baikal Rift Valley, the West Antarctic Rift, and the Rio Grande Rift are Earth’s major active continental rift valleys. The East African Rift is part of the “Great Rift Valley” system discussed below. read more

Rift Valleys. Introduction Rift valleys are not caused by erosion but are created by tectonic activity. Grabens are another name for these valleys. Today geologists use the term graben primarily to describe valleys on the continents. The valleys form when continental crust is pulling apart allowing the land to drop down between parallel faults. read more

On Earth, rifts can occur at all elevations, from the sea floor to plateaus and mountain ranges in continental crust or in oceanic crust. They are often associated with a number of adjoining subsidiary or co-extensive valleys, which are typically considered part of the principal rift valley geologically. read more

Very few active rift valleys are found on continental lithosphere. The East African Rift, the Baikal Rift Valley, the West Antarctic Rift, and the Rio Grande Rift are Earth’s major active continental rift valleys. The East African Rift is part of the “Great Rift Valley” system discussed below. read more