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How do tectonic basins form through crustal compression?
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tectonic basins and rift valleys
Escarpments of the Great Rift Valley rising above the plain north of Samburu Game Preserve, central Kenya. Beisa oryxes graze in the foreground.
While most tectonic basins are formed by crustal extension, they can also be produced through horizontal compression, which causes crustal shortening. There are two primary ways this occurs:1
- Ramp Valleys: These are formed when the margins of a valley are pushed over its floor, a process analogous to the formation of a rift valley.1
- Foreland Basins: These result from the gentle downward bending or flexing of the entire lithosphere.1
These compressional processes contrast with the more common formation of grabens, where crustal blocks move apart and a central block drops into the resulting gap.1