Geology of Afar Region

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Geology of the Afar Region

The geology of the Afar region is dominated by the igneous rocks and structures associated with stretching and rupture of the continental crust over approximately the last 30 million years. However, the geological history of the region extends back into the Proterozoic (about 900 million years ago).

The following pages on the different aspects of the geology of the Afar region are duplicated - one version for non-geologists and another for those with a geological background. The non-technical pages use a minimum of geological terms. However, if you are in any doubt about what something means please check the links page which gives the web addresses of sites that have geological glossaries.

Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy (non-technical)

Structural Geology

Structural Geology (non-technical)

References - not an exhaustive list of papers on the Afar region and surrounding areas, but gives all of those used on the website plus many more.

Royal Holloway PhD student Derek Keir measuring slip along an active normal fault near the central segment. The buff-coloured region shows the 2005 fault slip. Photo by Julie Rowland, University of Auckland.