Anza trough

Central African rifts: Anza trough to the southeast.

The Anza trough is a rift in Kenya that was formed in the Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era. The trough runs inland from the coast in the northwest direction.

The trough appears to be an aulacogen, a failed arm of a triple junction of a plate tectonics rift system, formed during the initial stretching phase when Gondwana was breaking up.^[1] The rift was formed by the same forces that created the rift system in South Sudan, and connects those rifts to the Lamu embayment further to the south. The separation of the other two arms of the junction allowed India-Madagascar to separate from Africa.^[2] The trough is now hidden by a cover of Quaternary sediments and volcanic rocks.^[3]

References

↑ David B. Stone, S. K. Runcorn (1993). Flow and creep in the solar system: observations, modeling, and theory. Springer. p. 230. ISBN 0-7923-2148-0.
↑ L C Greene, D R Richards, R A Johnson (1991). "Crustal structure and tectonic evolution of the Anza rift, northern Kenya". Tectonophysics 197 (2-4): 203–211. Bibcode:1991Tectp.197..203G. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(91)90041-P. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
↑ C.V. Reeves, F.M. Karanja and I.N. MacLeod (January 1987). "Geophysical evidence for a failed Jurassic rift and triple junction in Kenya". Earth and Planetary Science Letters 81 (2-3): 299–311. Bibcode:1987E&PSL..81..299R. doi:10.1016/0012-821X(87)90166-X. |access-date= requires |url= (help)

Major African geological formations

Plates	African Plate Somali Plate Madagascar Plate Seychelles Plate

Cratons and Shields	Arabian-Nubian Shield Congo Craton Kaapvaal Craton Kalahari Craton Saharan Metacraton Tanzania Craton Tuareg Shield West African Craton Zimbabwe Craton

Shear zones	Aswa Dislocation Broodkop Shear Zone Central African Shear Zone Chuan Shear Zones Foumban Shear Zone Mwembeshi Shear Zone Todi Shear Zone Western Meseta Shear Zone

Orogens	Alpide Orogen Cape Fold Belt Damara Orogen East African Orogen Eburnean Orogen Gondwanide Orogen Kuunga Orogen Mauritanide Belt Pan-African orogens Terra Australis Orogen

Rifts	Afar Triangle Anza trough Bahr el Arab rift Benue Trough Blue Nile rift East African Rift Gulf of Suez Rift Lamu Embayment Melut Basin Muglad Basin Red Sea Rift Sangha Aulacogen Atbara rift White Nile rift

Sedimentary basins	Angola Basin Aoukar Blue Nile Basin Chad Basin Congo Basin Douala Basin El Djouf Foreland Karoo Basin Gabon Basin Iullemmeden Basin Kufra Basin Murzuq Basin Niger Delta Basin Ogaden Basin Orange River basin Ouled Abdoun Basin Owambo Basin Reggane Basin Rio del Rey Basin Sirte Basin Somali Coastal Basin Taoudeni basin Tanzania Coastal Basin Tindouf Basin Turkana Basin

Mountain ranges	Aïr Mountains Atlas Mountains Aurès Mountains Bambouk Mountains Blue Mountains Cameroon line Central Pangean Mountains Chaillu Mountains Drakensberg Ethiopian Highlands East African mountains Great Escarpment Great Karas Mountains Guinée forestière Imatong Mountains Jebel Uweinat Loma Mountains Mandara Mountains Marrah Mountains Mitumba Mountains Nuba Mountains Rif Mountains Rwenzori Mountains Sankwala Mountains Serra da Leba Serra da Chela Teffedest Mountains Tibesti Mountains

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