Afar Triangle

E50015
geological region rift zone tectonic depression triple junction

The Afar Triangle is a geologically active depression in the Horn of Africa where three tectonic plates are pulling apart, creating one of the world’s most prominent rift zones.

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Observed surface forms (4)

Surface form Occurrences
Afar Depression 5
Afar Triple Junction 2
Afar Triangle depression 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf geological region ⓘ
rift zone ⓘ
tectonic depression ⓘ
triple junction ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Afar Triangle ⓘ
surface form: Afar Depression

Danakil Desert ⓘ
surface form: Danakil Depression
climate hyper-arid ⓘ
contains Afar Region ⓘ
Erta Ale ⓘ
surface form: Dabbahu Volcano

Danakil Desert ⓘ
surface form: Danakil Depression

Erta Ale ⓘ
Lake Abbe NERFINISHED ⓘ
Lake Afrera ⓘ
Lake Assal ⓘ
surface form: Lake Asal
country Djibouti ⓘ
Eritrea ⓘ
Ethiopia ⓘ
elevation below sea level in places ⓘ
formedBy rifting of African Plate ⓘ
rifting of Arabian Plate ⓘ
rifting of Somali Plate ⓘ
geologicalProcess continental breakup ⓘ
crustal thinning ⓘ
normal faulting ⓘ
seafloor spreading initiation ⓘ
volcanism ⓘ
hasFeature active volcanism ⓘ
basaltic lava fields ⓘ
extensional tectonics ⓘ
frequent earthquakes ⓘ
hydrothermal activity ⓘ
pull-apart basins ⓘ
salt flats ⓘ
thin continental crust ⓘ
locatedIn East Africa ⓘ
Horn of Africa ⓘ
notableFor exposing young oceanic crust on land ⓘ
one of the most active rift zones on Earth ⓘ
site of ongoing continent–ocean transition ⓘ
partOf East African Rift ⓘ
surface form: East African Rift System

Afro-Arabian Rift System ⓘ
surface form: Gulf of Aden Rift

Afro-Arabian Rift System ⓘ
surface form: Red Sea Rift
plateBoundary Arabian Plate ⓘ
African Plate ⓘ
surface form: Nubian Plate

Somali Plate ⓘ
tectonicSetting continental rift ⓘ
divergent plate boundary ⓘ
oceanic spreading center in formation ⓘ

Referenced by (11)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Afar Triangle → alsoKnownAs → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Afar Depression
East African Rift → contains → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Afar Depression
East African Rift → contains → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Main Ethiopian Rift
Tadjourah Region → elevationFeature → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Afar Triangle depression
East African Rift → extendsFrom → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Afar Triple Junction
Tadjourah Region → geologicalFeature → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Afar Depression
Danakil Desert → locatedIn → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Afar Depression
Danakil Desert → partOf → Afar Triangle ⓘ
Lake Assal → partOfRiftSystem → Afar Triangle ⓘ
Ethiopian Traps volcanism → relatedTo → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Afar Triple Junction
Awash River Basin → terminatesIn → Afar Triangle ⓘ
this entity surface form: Afar Depression