The African rift valley is one of the most fascinating natural wonders, known for its unique biodiversity and for being considered -for the important paleoanthropologic discoveries- the “cradle of mankind”, i.e. the place where our ancestors have evolved and diversified in the last millions of years. Characterized by a system of linear valleys extending for thousands of kilometers, the rift valley is a huge fracture on the surface of our planet that progressively widens with time, tearing the Eastern portion of the African continent apart. It represents a geological wonder where volcanism, earthquakes and fracturing of the Earth’s crust are the surface expressions of the enormous forces that shape our planet. These web pages are dedicated to the Ethiopian sector of the African rift valley, an ideal natural laboratory to analyze the evolution and dynamics of continental extension and the rupture of lithospheric plates
Highlights from the current scientific literature and other news
✴ Burianek et al., 2026, Catena
Characterization of nutrient release from volcanic rocks in soils from the southern Main Ethiopian Rift
The Ethiopian Rift, with its rugged topography and varied lithology, substantially influences soil physicochemical properties. Nutrient distribution within these landscapes is primarily influenced by rock geochemistry and weathering intensity, though their interactions remain debatable. Consequently, we investigated soil chemical and mineral composition across various volcanic substrates at different altitudes in the Ethiopian Highlands…..
✴ Kassa, 2026, Geothermal Energy
Curie point depth and geothermal heat flow analysis of the northwest Ethiopian plateau
The northwest Ethiopian plateau (NWEP) has thick flood basalts from the Eocene–Miocene Trap provinces. While previous studies have established the Ethiopian Rift Valley as a region of significant geothermal potential, the NWEP has remained largely unexplored in this regard. This study aims to estimate the Curie point depth, heat flow, and geothermal gradient in the NWEP, through spectral analysis of magnetic data in the NWEP, covering the region between 9.8 and 14.1°N latitude and 36–39.64°E longitude….
✴ Feyisa et al., 2026, Helyion
An integrated geophysical approach to groundwater potential assessment in Central Ethiopia: Adama to Awash Melkasa areas
Water is an essential requirement for the existence of human beings and other forms of life. In Ethiopia, it is a crucial resource for addressing the rising demand of water to support agricultural, and domestic needs. The properties of aquifers and the associated geological structures, significantly influence the potential of groundwater in any hydrogeological settings. This study aims to investigate the groundwater potential of the volcanic aquifer in central Ethiopia…
✴ Tortelli et al., 2026, Scientific Reports
Cluster analysis reveals increasing plume-like magmatism during progressive rifting in Afar (Ethiopia)
Reconstructing chemical variations of magma during rifting is challenging due to the heterogeneous mantle sources of the melt and different evolution pathways that magma potentially takes. Therefore, how and when the magma generation process evolves to that typical of an oceanic ridge (MORB-like composition) is still unclear. The Afar depression is an ideal place for studying magma changes during rift evolution, with North Afar close to breakup and older rift products preserved across the region….
A rift valley is…
“a linear valley with parallel and almost vertical sides, which has fallen owing to a series of parallel faults“. The typical morphology is characterized by a valley floor, between 30 and 100 km wide, separated from surrounding plateaus by huge scarps that may vary in height from a few hundreds to a few thousands of meters. Archetype of this morphology is the East African rift valley, where the concept has been originally introduced by John W. Gregory at the end of the XIXth century.
Selected photos from different field campaigns in Ethiopia
