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What are the Eastern Rift Valley and Western Rift Valley of the East African Rift System?

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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.

The East African Rift System is a massive geological feature extending approximately 4,000 miles (6,400 km) from Jordan to Mozambique, consisting of two primary branches.1

The Eastern Rift Valley

Often referred to as the Great Rift Valley, this is the system's main branch. It stretches the entire length of the rift, beginning in the north with the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and the Gulf of Aqaba. It continues through the Red Sea, the Ethiopian Denakil Plain, and across Kenya and Tanzania before reaching the Indian Ocean. This branch is frequently associated with extensive volcanism.12

The Western Rift Valley

The Western Rift Valley branches off and extends northward from the northern end of Lake Nyasa. It forms a great arc that includes several deep, fjordlike lakes, such as Tanganyika, Kivu, Edward, and Albert. Unlike the Eastern Rift, most of the Western Rift is characterized by a lack of volcanic activity.12