10/05/23 - Great Rift Valley Review

What is the most significant physical detail on the planet that is visible from space?

• The Great Rift Valley

• The Great Lakes

• The Dead Sea

• The Red Sea

Answer explanation

The most significant physical detail on the planet visible from space is the Great Rift Valley. It's a prominent feature due to its size and geological significance. The other options, The Great Lakes, The Dead Sea, and The Red Sea, while visible from space, are not as significant in terms of physical details.

What is the Great Rift Valley?

• A mountain range in East Africa

• A river in Syria

• A geological feature running from Syria to Mozambique

• A lake in Central Africa

Answer explanation

The Great Rift Valley is not a mountain range, a river, or a lake. It is a significant geological feature that stretches from Syria to Mozambique in East Africa. This large geographic trench is a result of tectonic plate movements.

Which of the following lakes is the second deepest lake in the world?

• Lake Tanganyika

• Lake Victoria

• Lake Naivasha

• Lake Magadi

Answer explanation

Lake Tanganyika is the second deepest lake in the world, after Lake Baikal. It's significantly deeper than Lake Victoria, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Magadi. The extreme depth of Lake Tanganyika, which reaches up to 1,470 meters, is due to it being situated in the Great Rift Valley, a major fault line in the Earth's crust.

What is the width range of the Great Rift Valley?

• 10 to 30 miles

• 20 to 60 miles

• 30 to 100 miles

• 60 to 120 miles

Answer explanation

The Great Rift Valley, an extensive geographical feature, has a width that varies from location to location. However, the general width range is approximately 20 to 60 miles, which is why this is the correct answer to the question about the width range of the Great Rift Valley.

Which valley separates the Galilee mountains and the Golan Heights in Israel?

• Beqaa Valley

• Hula Valley

• Jordan Valley

• Wadi Arabah

Answer explanation

The Hula Valley is the correct answer because it is the region that is situated between the Galilee mountains and the Golan Heights in Israel. It is known for its fertility and lush vegetation. The other options, Beqaa Valley, Jordan Valley, and Wadi Arabah, are located in different parts of the region and do not separate these two geographical features.

What is the probable location of a triple junction in the Great Rift Valley?

• Afar Triangle

• Gulf of Aden

• Red Sea

• Indian Ocean

Answer explanation

The correct answer is Afar Triangle. A triple junction is a point where the boundaries of three tectonic plates meet. In the context of the Great Rift Valley, this place is the Afar Triangle. It's not the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, or the Indian Ocean because these are bodies of water, not geographical locations within the Great Rift Valley.

Which part of the Great Rift Valley is known as the Albertine Rift?

• Eastern Rift

• Western Rift

• Jordan Valley

• Wadi Arabah

Answer explanation

The Great Rift Valley, a geographical feature that stretches around 6,000 kilometers from Lebanon to Mozambique, is divided into two main parts: the Eastern Rift and the Western Rift. The Western Rift, also known as the Albertine Rift, is the section of the Great Rift Valley that the question refers to.

Which lake in the Rift Valley is almost solid sodium carbonate?

• Lake Tanganyika

• Lake Victoria

• Lake Magadi

• Lake Naivasha

Answer explanation

Lake Magadi is the correct answer. It's an alkaline lake located in the Rift Valley's southern part, known for its high concentration of sodium carbonate. Sodium carbonate is often found in areas with high evaporation rates, like Lake Magadi. Neither Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, nor Lake Naivasha have such high concentrations of sodium carbonate.

What is the main reason for the abundance of algae and fish in the soda lakes of the Rift Valley?

• High mineral content

• Freshwater springs

• Geothermal activity

• Seasonal flooding

Answer explanation

Soda lakes in the Rift Valley are abundant with algae and fish primarily due to their high mineral content. The minerals in these lakes provide essential nutrients that promote growth and proliferation of algae, which in turn support a rich fish population.

What has the Rift Valley been a rich source of?

• Fossils

• Minerals

• Oil reserves

• Freshwater

Answer explanation

The Rift Valley, particularly in East Africa, has been a rich source of fossils. It provides a record of human evolution over the last few million years, which is why the answer is fossils, not minerals, oil reserves, or freshwater.