Geography • World GeographyMedium
Which of the following structural plate boundaries is responsible for the formation of the Great Rift Valley system spanning East Africa?
A. Convergent subduction boundary between oceanic and continental plates
B. Divergent continental rift zone driven by crustal extension and lithospheric thinning
C. Conservative transform fault boundary characterized by strike-slip displacement✓ Correct Answer
D. Collision zone between two continental landmasses forming ultra-high-pressure metamorphic rocks
💡 Solution & Explanation
The Great Rift Valley is a classic example of a divergent continental rift system where extensional tectonic forces are pulling the African tectonic plate apart, leading to crustal faulting, graben formation, and volcanic activity. Subduction zones form island arcs and trench systems. Transform faults generate strike-slip earthquakes without creating major rift valleys. Continent-continent collisions produce massive fold mountain chains like the Himalayas.
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