Effects of Earthquakes on Landforms and Landscapes

• Rift valleys:

  ·         Rift valleys form as the two plates move away from each other at divergent plate boundaries.

  ·         As the plates move apart the crust will fracture and drop down to form a rift.

  ·         E.g. The East African Rift Valley.

  ·         Rift valleys on the continent are altered by weathering and erosion.

   
• Fault scarps/escarpments:

  ·         They mark the locations of faults caused by tension and compression within the crust.

  ·         Over time fault scarps are worn away so that they blend in with the landscape.

  ·         They can disappear under accumulated sediments.