Geological Features of Ethiopia

One of the most significant geological features of this region of Africa is the result of faulting and cracking along its eastern side. This process led to the formation of the Great Rift Valley, which extends from the Middle East to Mozambique, running in a north-south direction through Ethiopia. This shearing of the Earth’s surface occurred at the same time as the separation of the Arabian Peninsula—geologically a part of Africa—from the rest of the continent.

Volcanic activity, which continues to this day, is evident in the volcanoes of Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression and the numerous hot springs found throughout the country. Earth tremors are frequently felt, and remnants of old volcanic plugs are visible across the plateau.

After the Rift Valley opened, much of the area was flooded by the inrushing waters of the Red Sea, a flood that was eventually halted by fresh volcanic activity, which raised barriers of basaltic lava. Behind these barriers, a trapped inland sea formed, but over time, intense tropical heat caused most of the water to evaporate—a process that is now nearly complete. Today, only a few scattered, highly saline lakes—Gamarri, Affambo, Bario, and Abbe—remain. Elsewhere, vast deposits of natural salt exist, with some areas estimated to contain layers several thousand meters thick.