It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Rift valley. (Discuss)

"Chasm" redirects here. For other uses, see Chasm (disambiguation).

USGS image

In geology, a rift is a place where the Earth's crust and lithosphere are being pulled apart. Typical features are a central linear downdropped fault segment, called a graben, with parallel normal faulting and rift-flank uplifts on either side. The axis of the rift area commonly contains volcanic rocks and active volcanism is a part of many but not all active rift systems. Rifts are distinct from Mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust and lithosphere is created by seafloor spreading. In rifts, no crust or lithosphere is produced. If rifting continues, eventually a mid-ocean ridge may form, marking a divergent boundary between two tectonic plates. Failed rifts are ancient to modern features where continental rifting began, but then failed to continue. Typically the transition from rifting to spreading develops as three converging rifts over a hotspot. Two of these evolve to the point of seafloor spreading, while the third ultimately fails, becoming an aulacogen. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... In geology, a rift valley is a valley created by the formation of a rift. ... Chasm can refer to: A scientific rift, see rift (geology) A computer game released by GT Interactive, see Chasm: the Rift A Death Metal band originally from Mexico, see The Chasm This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... from http://earthquake. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history and the processes that shape it. ... Earth cutaway from core to exosphere. ... The tectonic plates of the Lithosphere on Earth. ... USGS image A graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults. ... A mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an uplifting of the ocean floor that occurs when convection currents beneath the ocean bed force magma up where two tectonic plates meet at a divergent boundary. ... Age of oceanic crust Oceanic crust is the part of Earths lithosphere which underlies the ocean basins. ... Age of oceanic crust. ... In Trey is Gay!, a divergent boundary (divergent fault boundary or divergent plate boundary) is a linear feature that exists between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other. ... The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. ... In geology, a hotspot is a location on the Earths surface that has experienced active volcanism for a long period of time. ... In geology, an aulacogen is a failed arm of a rift. ...

Examples of rifts include:

• Great Rift Valley in Africa
• Red Sea
• Lake Baikal, the bottom of the lake is the deepest continental rift on the earth.
• throughout the Basin and Range Province in North America
• the Rio Grande Rift in the southwestern US
• the rift in the middle of the Gulf of Corinth in Greece
• The Reelfoot Rift, an ancient buried failed rift underlying the New Madrid Seismic Zone in the Mississippi embayment
• the Taupo Volcanic Zone in the north east North Island of New Zealand
• the Oslo graben in Norway.