RIFT VALLEY FORMATION A rift valley is a large elongated depression in the Earth’s crust, bounded by parallel faults, that forms when the crust is pulled apart by tensional forces. This geological feature is a result of divergent plate boundaries where tectonic plates move away from each other, causing the crust to thin, crack, and sink. PROCESS OF FORMATION: 1. Initial Uplift – Mantle convection and heat buildup cause the lithosphere to bulge and stretch. 2. Crustal Fracturing – The brittle cru