Urban Areas within Rift Valleys

Rift valley in Ecuador: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rift_valley

Many are familiar with the Great Rift Valley of eastern Africa. But, it is certainly not the only rift valley on Earth. In fact, there are a number of rift valleys (also sometimes referred to as grabens) located on the continents and in the seas/oceans. The following is the definition of “rift valley” provided by the National Geographic Society and a cross-section of the East African Rift System.

“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. Rift valleys differ from river valleys and glacial valleys in that they are created by tectonic activity and not the process of erosion.”

For those cities lying within these rift valleys/grabens, they face unique planning and emergency preparedness challenges. Not only are earthquakes a very real possibility due to the seismic forces that created the rift valley in the first place, but longer-term for potential volcanic activity is too. These two primary geologic forces can lead to secondary hazards such as landslides, topographic upheaval, land subsidence, and soil erosion.

Here are graphics showing some of the significant and highly populated continental rift valleys on Earth, followed by a list of some of the major cities located within a Rift Valley or Graben.

RIO GRANDE RIFT VALLEY

Rio Grande Rift Valley in the Albuquerque area – Source: nmnaturalhistory.org

Expanded view of the Rio Grande Rift Valley of Colorado and New Mexico – Source: en.wikipedia.org

OTTAWA-BONNSCHERE GRABEN

Source: en.wikipeida.org

EAST AFRICAN RIFT SYSTEM

Source: en.wikipedia.org

UPPER RHINE GRABEN (RIFT)

Source: en.wikipedia.org

SCOTLAND’S CENTRAL LOWLANDS

Source: en.wikipedia.org

LAKE BAIKAL RIFT

Source: en.wikipedia.org

JORDAN RIVER RIFT VALLEY

Jordan River Rift Valley – Source: slide serve.com

ASUNCION RIFT

Source: researchgate.net

OSLO GRABEN (RIFT)

Oslo Graben (Rift) shown in red – Source: eurare.eu

Rift Valleys in India – Source: mantle plumes.org

Below a partial list of some of the major cities directly located within or along a continental rift valley or graben show above. Several other cities impacted by rift valleys/grabens not pictured above are also identified.

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Aqaba, Jordan
Asker, Norway
Asuncion, Paraguay
Awasa, Ethiopia
Basel, Switzerland
Beit She’an, Israel
Bujumbura, Burundi
Bukoba, Tanzania
Colmar, France
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Eldoret, Kenya
Entebbe, Uganda
Falkirk, Scotland, UK
Fort Portal, Uganda
Gisenyi, Rwanda
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Goma, Congo
Guatemala City, Guatemala (Guatemala City Valley Graben – not pictured above)
Gulu, Uganda
Hoima, Uganda
Jabalpur, India
Jericho, Israel
Jinja, Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
Karlsruhe, Germany
Kibuye, Rwanda
Kigali, Rwanda
Kira Town, Uganda
Kiryat Shmona, Israel
Kitgum, Uganda
Kumi Town, Uganda
Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada (Lake Tahoe Basin Graben – not pictured above)
Lira, Uganda
Lukaya, Uganda
Mannheim, Germany
Masaka, Uganda
Mbalala, Uganda
Mbale, Kenya
Mbale, Uganda
Mubende, Uganda
Mukono Town, Uganda
Musoma, Tanzania
Mwanza, Tanzania
Nagpur, India
Nansana, Uganda
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Oslo, Norway
Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario/Quebec, Canada
Paraguari, Paraguay
Rahamundry, India
Sandvika, Norway
Saguenay, Quebec, Canada (Saguenay Graben – not pictured above)
San Jose, California – (Santa Clara Graben -not pictured above)
San Lorenzo, Paraguay
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Severobaykalsk, Russia
Sheema, Uganda
Shinyanga, Tanzania
Singida, Tanzania
Slyudyanka, Russia
Stirling, Scotland, UK
Strasbourg, France
Villarica, Paraguay
Wakiso, Uganda

Narmada River Rift Valley in India – Source: en.wikipedia.org

For more information on Africa’s Great Rift Valley, here is a link through Amazon.com.*

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