The seismicity of Ethiopia; active plate tectonics
Links
- The Publications Warehouse does not have links to digital versions of this publication at this time
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
"But I tell you, when you look at the way the pieces of the northeastern portion of the African continent seem to fit together, separated by a narrow gulf, you could almost make a believer [in continental drift] of anybody" Astronaut Harrison Schmidt, on the view from Apollo 17.
Ethiopia, descended from the semimythical Kingdom of Punt, lies at the strategic intersection of Schmidt's jigsaw puzzle where the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the African Rift System meet. Because of geologically recent uplift combined with rapid downcutting erosion by rivers, notably the Blue Nile (Abbay), Ethiopia is the most mountainous country in Africa. It is also the most volcanically active, while its historical seismicity matches that of the midocean ridges. And, in a sense, Ethiopia is host to an evoloving ocean ridge system.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | The seismicity of Ethiopia; active plate tectonics |
Series title | Earthquake Information Bulletin (USGS) |
Volume | 13 |
Issue | 4 |
Year Published | 1981 |
Language | English |
Publisher | U.S Geological Survey |
Description | 10 p. |
First page | 124 |
Last page | 133 |
Country | Ethiopia |
Online Only (Y/N) | N |
Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |