Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why is the Ruwenzori Range an important earthquake area?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
East African mountains
Mountains and lakes of East Africa.
The Ruwenzori Range is an important earthquake epicenter because of ongoing tectonic activity along its fault lines. Unlike most other major mountains in East Africa, which are of volcanic origin, the Ruwenzori is a massive horst—a block of the Earth's crust that has been uplifted.123
This range was formed as an ancient plateau of gneisses and schists was upfaulted on its western side and upwarped on its eastern side. Because these movements along the faults continue to occur, the system remains a significant area for seismic activity.1