Download East Africa Rift Valley 2012

Famous Plate Boundary Presentation – East Africa Rift Valley
You and your partner will become experts on the plate tectonics of the East Africa Rift Valley! You will use Diigo,
a social bookmarking site to collaborate on and manage your research online. You will also create and deliver a 15
minute Google presentation to share what you learn about the East Africa Rift Valley.
You and your partner will:
● Peruse the websites bookmarked in your Diigo group for information, maps, images, diagrams and video
that allow you to respond to the prompts below
● Search online for additional information – bookmark these resources to your Diigo group
● Use Diigo toolbar to highlight important text and make comments on bookmarked resources
● Collaborate with your partner on a 15-minute Powerpoint presentation
● Present what you learn to the class
You will have two grades for this project – one for the content you present and one for your work as a team.
Your presentation on the East Africa Rift Valley MUST include the following information.
Each person is responsible for five prompts.
1. Use maps to identify the location of the East Africa Rift Valley and use images and animations to explain the
theory that a persistent mantle plume is causing a triple junction rift in the lithospheric plate. Use data from the
four maps to support your presentation.
2. Describe the topographic and volcanic features of the East Africa Rift Valley and explain how they relate to the
divergent boundary and mantle plume. Use GeoMapApp to get image of Rift Valley topography for your
presentation.
3. Explain what a stratovolcano is, and describe the uniquely fluid lava and the lava lake associated with Mt.
Nyiragongo.
4. Describe the recent eruption of another volcano, Mt. Nyamulagira, that threatens the habitat of endangered
chimpanzees in the vicinity.
5. Describe the unique features of the African Great Lakes that relate to their formation within the rift valley.
6. Describe the unique hydrothermal volcanoes near Dallol, Ethiopia in the Danakil Depression. Explain why they
are they so colorful.
7. Describe the damage to human communities caused by the tectonic activity in the Rift Valley.
8. Describe consequences to Earth systems resulting from the tectonic activity within the Rift Valley.
9. Describe one SPECIFIC technique used by scientists to monitor tectonic activity in the Rift Valley.
10. Describe efforts taken to protect local communities from earthquakes or volcanic eruptions in the rift valley.
Bibliography -- The Diigo group will function as your bibliography. For each bibliographic entry, you must
highlight pertinent information AND write one comment to explain what slide(s) you used the information in.