Blue Nile rift

The Blue Nile rift is a major geological structure in the Sudan, a rift with a NW trend that terminates on the Central African Shear Zone.^[1] It was formed through crustal extension during the break-up of Gondwana.

The rift, and other rifts in the area such as the Bahr El Arab rift and White Nile rift, appears to have been activated several times since the Paleozoic era, which ended about 250 Ma.^{[fn 1]} During periods of rapid uplift and subsidence, the rifts accumulated sediments of different ages, origins and methods of deposition.^[2] Late Jurassic rifting occurred in the Blue Nile rift, with east-west half-graben extension connected by large-scale shear zones and pull-apart basins, and early Cretaceous rifting re-activated the Jurassic basin.^[3]

The Blue Nile Basin in Ethiopia may be a southeastern extension of the rift.^[4] Further to the southeast, the late Palaeozoic-Mesozoic Ogaden Rift is aligned with the Blue Nile rift.^[5]

Explanatory notes

^ Ma = Million years ago

References

^ Kenneth Harold Olsen (1995). Continental rifts: evolution, structure, tectonics. Elsevier. p. 437. ISBN 0-444-89567-1.
^ Ramsis B. Salama (1997). "6 Rift Basins of the Sudan". African Basins. pp. 105–149. ISBN 0-444-82571-1.
^ William Bosworth (20 August 1992). "Mesozoic and early Tertiary rift tectonics in East Africa". Tectonophysics. 209 (1–4): 115–137. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(92)90014-W.
^ N. DS. GANI; M. G. ABDELSALAM; S. GERA & M. R. GANI (2008). "Stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Blue Nile Basin, Northwestern Ethiopian Plateau" (PDF). Geological Journal. 44: 30–56. doi:10.1002/gj.1127. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
^ Daniel Mège; Tesfaye Korme (2004). "Dyke swarm emplacement in the Ethiopian Large Igneous Province: not only a matter of stress" (PDF). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 32: 283–310. doi:10.1016/s0377-0273(03)00318-4.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

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[2] Ma = Million years ago

[1] Kenneth Harold Olsen (1995). Continental rifts: evolution, structure, tectonics. Elsevier. p. 437. ISBN 0-444-89567-1.

[3] Ramsis B. Salama (1997). "6 Rift Basins of the Sudan". African Basins. pp. 105–149. ISBN 0-444-82571-1.

[4] William Bosworth (20 August 1992). "Mesozoic and early Tertiary rift tectonics in East Africa". Tectonophysics. 209 (1–4): 115–137. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(92)90014-W.

[Gani2008-5] N. DS. GANI; M. G. ABDELSALAM; S. GERA & M. R. GANI (2008). "Stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Blue Nile Basin, Northwestern Ethiopian Plateau" (PDF). Geological Journal. 44: 30–56. doi:10.1002/gj.1127. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-01-28.

[6] Daniel Mège; Tesfaye Korme (2004). "Dyke swarm emplacement in the Ethiopian Large Igneous Province: not only a matter of stress" (PDF). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 32: 283–310. doi:10.1016/s0377-0273(03)00318-4.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

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v t e Major African geological formations
Plates	Major plates: African plate Minor plates: Somali plate Microplates: Lwandle plate Madagascar plate Rovuma plate Seychelles plate Victoria Microplate
Cratons and shields	Arabian-Nubian Shield Congo Craton Kaapvaal Craton Kalahari Craton Saharan Metacraton Tanzania Craton Tuareg Shield West African Craton Zimbabwe Craton
Shear zones	Aswa Dislocation Broodkop Shear Zone Central African Shear Zone Chuan Shear Zones Foumban Shear Zone Kandi Fault Zone Mwembeshi Shear Zone Todi Shear Zone Western Meseta Shear Zone
Orogens	Alpine Orogen Cape Fold Belt Damara Orogen East African Orogen Eburnean Orogen Gondwanide Orogen Kibaran Orogen Kuunga Orogen Mauritanide Belt Pan-African orogens Terra Australis Orogen
Rifts	Afar Triangle Anza trough Bahr el Arab rift Benue Trough Blue Nile rift East African Rift Gulf of Suez Rift Lamu Embayment Melut Basin Muglad Basin Red Sea Rift Sangha Aulacogen Atbara rift Urema Valley West and Central African Rift System White Nile rift
Sedimentary basins	Angola Basin Aoukar Blue Nile Basin Chad Basin Congo Basin Douala Basin El Djouf Karoo Basin Gabon Basin Iullemmeden Basin Kufra Basin Murzuq Basin Niger Delta Basin Ogaden Basin Orange River Basin Ouled Abdoun Basin Owambo Basin Reggane Basin Rio del Rey Basin Sirte Basin Somali Coastal Basin Taoudeni Basin Tanzania Coastal Basin Tindouf Basin Turkana Basin
Mountain ranges	Aïr Mountains Atlas Mountains Aurès Mountains Bambouk Mountains Blue Mountains Cameroon line Central Pangean Mountains Chaillu Mountains Drakensberg Eastern Arc Mountains Eastern Rift mountains Ethiopian Highlands Great Escarpment Great Karas Mountains Guinea Highlands Hoggar Mountains Imatong Mountains Jebel Uweinat Loma Mountains Mandara Mountains Marrah Mountains Mitumba Mountains Nuba Mountains Rif Mountains Rwenzori Mountains Sankwala Mountains Serra da Leba Serra da Chela Teffedest Mountains Tibesti Mountains
Inselbergs (aka koppie)	Anti-Atlas Mount Gorongosa Jugurtha Tableland Mount Mabu Mulanje Massif Mont Niénokoué Wase Rock Zuma Rock List of inselbergs