Great Rift Valley: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:12, 31 March 2004

Revision as of 18:42, 1 April 2004

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In [[Kenya]] the valley is deepest to the north of [[Nairobi]]. As the valley has no outlet to the sea, its lakes tend to be shallow and have a high [[mineral]] content as the evaporation of water leaves the salts behind. For example, [[Lake Magadi]] is almost solid soda ([[sodium carbonate]]), and [[Lake Elmenteita]], [[Lake Baringo]], [[Lake Bogoria]], and [[Lake Nakuru]] are all strongly alkaline, while [[Lake Naivasha]] needs to be supplied by freshwater springs to support its biological variety.

The formation of the Rift Valley is currently ongoing. In a few million years, eastern Africa will probably split off to form a new landmass. The original activity that caused the Rift weakened the Earth's crust. The area is therefore volcanically and seismically active and havehas produced the volcanic mountains [[Mount Kilimanjaro]], [[Mount Kenya]], [[Mount Karisimbi]], [[Mount Nyiragongo]], and [[Mount Meru]], and [[Mount Elgon]], andas well as the [[Crater Highlands]] in [[Tanzania]]. The [[Ol Doiyo Lengai]] [[volcano]] remains active, and is currently the only [[neocarbonate]] volcano in the world.

The Rift Valley has been a rich source of [[anthropology|anthropological]] discovery, especially in [[Olduvai Gorge]]. Because the rapidly eroding highlands have filled the valley with sediments, a favourable environment for the preservation of remains has been created. The bones of several [[hominid]] ancestors of modern humans have been found there, including those of "[[Lucy]]", a nearly complete [[australopithecine]] skeleton, which was discovered by anthropologist [[Donald Johanson]]. [[Richard Leakey|Richard]] and [[Maeve Leakey]] have also done significant work in this region.

== External links ==