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The mountains are related to the East African Rift, and are in two chains, the Western Rift includes the Virunga Mountains, Mitumba Mountains, and the Rwenzori Range, while the mountains to the east include the largest peaks in Africa: the snow-covered Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m, 19,340 ft), and Mount Kenya (5,199m, 17,058 ft).
A map of East Africa showing some of the historically active volcanoes (as red triangles) and the Afar Triangle (shaded at the center), which is a so-called triple junction (or triple point) where three plates are pulling away from one another: the Arabian plate and two parts of the African plate—the Nubian and Somali—splitting along the East African Rift Zone Main rift faults, plates ...
These mountain ranges are the oldest in East Africa, and though physically separated from each other, share a similar geomorphology and ecology. They were formed at least 100 million years ago along a fault lying to the east of the East African Rift , which is a more recent structure.
Lifted fault-block geology Tilted fault-block formation in the Teton Range. Fault-block mountains often result from rifting, an indicator of extensional tectonics. These can be small or form extensive rift valley systems, such as the East African Rift zone. Death Valley in California is a smaller example.
Rwenzori in larger geographical context Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley is the highest point in the range.. The mountains formed about three million years ago in the late Pliocene epoch and are the result of an uplifted block of crystalline rocks including gneiss, amphibolite, granite and quartzite.
The Ethiopian Highlands (also called the Abyssinian Highlands) [1] [2] is a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia in Northeast Africa.It forms the largest continuous area of its elevation in the continent, with little of its surface falling below 1,500 m (4,900 ft), while the summits reach heights of up to 4,550 m (14,930 ft).
The Rwenzori Mountains in the East African Rift are an upthrown fault block, and are the highest non-volcanic, non-orogenic mountains in the world. [13] [14] The Vosges Mountains in France were formed by isostatic uplift in response to the opening of the Rhine Graben, a major extensional basin. [15]
The ecoregion consists of montane forests, grasslands, and savannas, transitioning to the East African montane moorlands on the highest peaks. The ecoregion is home to the Afromontane flora, which occurs in the mountains of eastern Africa, and is distinct from the lowland flora. [1] [3] Plant communities vary with elevation.
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