The Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley, Kenya : A series of intra-continental ridges stretches through Kenya from north to south and includes the Great Rift Valley. It is a component of the Gregory Rift, the eastern branch of the East African Rift, which begins in Tanzania to the south and extends northward into Ethiopia. It developed on the “Kenyan Dome,” a geographic upwelling produced by the collisions of three main tectonic plates: the Arabian, Nubian, and Somalian plates. Previously, it was believed to be a component of the “Great Rift Valley,” which stretched from Syria to Madagascar. The majority of the valley is located within the former Rift Valley Province.
The Cherangani Hills and a string of volcanoes, some of which are still active, are located in the valley. Temperatures rarely rise over 28 °C (82 °F) due to the temperate climate. The two rainiest seasons are from March to June and from October to November. Fossils from the 14th to 4th million years ago are found in lava flows in the Tugen Hills, which are west of Lake Baringo. Numerous hominid remains, the progenitors of humans, have been discovered here.
A physical features found within Rift Valley
Escarpments line the valley’s eastern and western edges. Several still active volcanoes and a number of lakes are scattered across the surface. A few of the soils are Andisols, productive soils created by very recent volcanic activity.
Kenya’s Great Rift Valley has Lake Turkana at its northernmost point. In addition, Lake Turkana contains volcanoes. An dry region of the Great Rift Valley lies directly south of Lake Turkana and is known as the Suguta Valley or Suguta Mud Flats. South of Suguta, the shield volcano Emuruangogolak spans the valley, and still further south, Mount Silali and Paka rise up from the valley floor. With widespread geothermal activity, Paka is a shield volcano. Lake Baringo, and Mount Korosi are located to the south of Paka.
A large shield volcano called Menengai with a caldera that developed about 8,000 years ago is located in the rift. It has a southern view of Lake Nakuru. Lake Elementaita, Mount Kipipiri, and Lake Naivasha are also found in this area. South of Lake Naivasha is the Hell’s Gate National Park. Ash from Mount Longonot’s early 1900s eruption is still detectable at Hell’s Gate. Southeast of Lake Naivasha is where Mount Longonot, a dormant stratovolcano, is situated. Shield volcano Mount Suswa is situated halfway between Nairobi and Narok. The lava flows from the most recent eruptions are likely not more than a century old and are still not covered by vegetation. Although Lake Natron’s northern edge extends into Kenya from Tanzania, Lake Magadi is the rift valley lake that is the furthest south in Kenya.
The western wall includes the Elgeyo escarpment. A 1,000 metre (3,300 foot) elevation, the Kerio Valley is situated between the Tugen Hills and the Elgeyo escarpment. The Kerio Valley region has significant Fluorite resources. The Mau Escarpment, located farther south near Lake Naivasha, is a steep natural cliff that runs along the western side of the Great Rift Valley and is around 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) high. The Nguruman Escarpment is approximately 50 km long and stretched in a north-south direction further south. Its northern end is roughly 120 km (75 mi) southwest of Nairobi, and its southern edge is close to Tanzania’s border, at the northwest corner of Lake Natron. To the north of Nairobi, the Aberdare Range makes up a portion of the Great Rift Valley’s eastern rim. The highest peak of the Aberdares is located in the north; the second highest point is Mount Kinangop, which is located in the south. A ridge of mountains runs between these two peaks. Southwest of Nairobi, on a ridge running east of the Great Rift Valley, lie the Ngong Hills.
Lakes found in Rift Valley Kenya
Of all the lakes on the African continent, 64 (9.50%) are located in Kenya.The Kenyan Rift Valley’s eight major lakes are made up of these. These lakes are called Lake Turkana, Lake Logipi, Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elmenteita, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Magadi, in that order.The only freshwater lakes among those eight are Lakes Baringo and Naivasha.
At the northernmost point of the rift, Lake Turkana is 250 kilometres (160 miles) long, 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) to 30 kilometres (19 miles) wide, and 125 metres (410 feet) deep at its deepest point. Since most of the other lakes have poor drainage and are shallow, they have mostly turned alkaline. They have blue-green algae-rich waters that provide food for lesser flamingos, tiny crustaceans, and insect larvae. Fish and bigger flamingos use the larvae and crustaceans as food. These birds have been observed to affect the lakefront sediments when in large flocks. Due to their sheer numbers, the silts in some places are trampled, while the oxygenation of the feeding grounds is caused by their probing beaks in the mud.
As the lake’s water level changes, their nest mounds can still be seen and protected by being cemented. The topography along the lakefront is distorted by these.
Trona is an evaporative mineral that is mined at Lake Magadi and is used to make sodium carbonate. Each year, it generates roughly 250,000 metric tonnes. Around Lake Baringo, other priceless minerals including rubies and pink sapphires have been discovered and extracted. More than 2 kilogrammes of corundum were gathered in 2004.The Kenya lake system is made up of three small, alkaline lakes and the surrounding land: Lake Bogoria, which covers 10,700 hectares (26,00 acres), Lake Nakuru, which covers 18,800 hectares (46,00 acres), and Lake Elementaita, which covers 2,534 hectares (6,260 acres). Thirteen bird species that are threatened internationally are found in this system, which has one of the most diversified bird populations in the world. It is the most significant feeding region in the world for lesser flamingos and an important nesting and breeding location for great white pelicans. Black-necked grebe, African spoonbill, pied avocet, little grebe, yellow-billed stork, black-winged stilt, grey-headed gull, and gull-billed tern populations are internationally significant in the system. A significant point along the yearly bird migratory route from breeding grounds in the north to wintering grounds in Africa is the Kenya lake system, which is part of the West Asian-East African Flyway. Black rhino, Rothschild’s giraffe, greater kudu, lion, cheetah, and wild dogs all have significant numbers in the areas surrounding the lakes. The sheer escarpment of the Rift Valley surrounds the Kenya lake system, creating an impressive background.
In the north-eastern extension, Lake Chew Bahir is one of the lakes. This lake is primarily in Ethiopia, although during the rainy season it also reaches into Kenya. Another small lake is Lake Kamnarok.