Section [01]
The Rift
The crust is pulling apart, which is why the valley is there.
Entries
Three- Albuquerque BasinThe basin is one of a chain along a continental rift: the crust here is pulling apart, which puts it in the same category of landform as East Africa rather than an ordinary river valley.
- Faults and basin fillThe basin has been filling with its own eroded material for millions of years, and the thickness of that fill is how the depth of the rift is known.
- ExtensionExtension means the crust is being stretched and thinned, and the faults are where it breaks as it goes.