Great Rift Valley; a glossary of key terms environmental, and geological factors:


Below a glossary of  key terms both the environmental factors (what's happening on the surface) in the Great Rift Valley, and the geological factors (what's happening deep underground).

Great Rift Valley; a glossary of  key terms environmental,  and geological factors: 

​Climate and Environmental Terms

  • ​Climate Change: A long-term shift in Earth's weather patterns and average temperatures. In the Rift Valley, this has caused rain to become much more violent and unpredictable.
  • ​Deforestation: The permanent removal of trees to make room for something besides forest (like farms or houses). This removes the roots that act as "glue" for the soil.
  • ​Erosion: The process where natural forces like water, wind, or ice wear away rocks and soil. In Kenya, "sheet erosion" is common, where a flat layer of topsoil is washed away at once.
  • ​Siltation: This happens when eroded soil (silt) is carried by water into a lake or river. The dirt settles at the bottom, making the water shallower and forcing it to spill over the sides.
  • ​Sustainable Agriculture: Farming in a way that protects the land for the future, such as planting trees alongside crops to prevent the soil from washing away.

​Geological and Earth Science Terms

​Crust: The thin, rocky outer layer of the Earth that we live on.

​Divergent Plate Boundary: A place where two tectonic plates are moving away from each other. The Great Rift Valley is one of the most famous examples on land.

​Fissure: A long, narrow opening or crack in the ground. In the Rift Valley, these can be kilometers long and several meters deep.

​Geothermal Activity: Heat that comes from inside the Earth. This creates things like the hot springs and steam vents found throughout the Rift.

​Tectonic Plates: Massive, rigid slabs of rock that make up the Earth's outer shell. They "float" on the hotter, softer layers beneath them.

​The Nubian and Somali Plates: The two specific tectonic plates that are currently pulling apart in East Africa, creating the "Rift."

​Specific Regional Terms

​Great Rift Valley: A massive geological trench that runs about 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) from the Middle East down to Mozambique.

​The Mau Forest: One of Kenya's most important water towers. It acts like a giant sponge, but deforestation here is a major cause of the flooding downstream in the Rift Valley.


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