Page 69 - Super Earth Encyclopedia
P. 69
RIFT VALLEY LAKE
Lake Turkana in Africa’s Eastern Rift Valley
has formed in a hollow in the sinking valley
floor. As the moving plates of Earth’s crust
pull the rift apart, the tension makes cracks
open up in the rock. This allows molten rock
to boil up and erupt as volcanoes, forming
lava flows of black basalt. The lake water is
tinted green by vast numbers of microscopic
algae that flourish in the tropical heat.
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