White Nile rift

Rifts in Sudan and Kenya

The White Nile rift is one of several rifts in central Sudan running in a NW direction and terminating in the Central African Shear Zone. The rift is a Cretaceous/Tertiary structure that has similar tectonic characteristics to the Southern Sudan Rift, Blue Nile rift and Atbara rift.^[1] These rifts follow similar trends, and terminate in a line at their northwestern ends. Probably this line is an extension of the Central African Shear Zone through the Sudan.^[2]

The rift basin is formed by the junction of the Umm Rubaba grabens, which extends in a NW direction, and the White Nile graben, which extends in a N to NW direction.^[3] The basin is filled with sediments and igneous rocks, and is a target for oil and gas exploration.^[4] The rift basins appear to be hydrologically closed, with no lateral transfer of water.^[5] One theory is that the current White Nile may have developed no more than 12,500 years ago when the basins filled and the rivers became connected.^[6]

References

↑ S.E. Browne, J.D. Fairhead and I.I. Mohamed (10 March 1985). "Gravity study of the White Nile Rift, Sudan, and its regional tectonic setting". Tectonophysics. 113 (1-2): 123–137. Bibcode:1985Tectp.113..123B. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(85)90113-1.
↑ Robert Bowen, Ulrich Jux (1987). Afro-Arabian geology: a kinematic view. Springer. p. 143. ISBN 0-412-29700-0.
↑ Richard C. Selley (1997). African basins. Elsevier. p. 115. ISBN 0-444-82571-1.
↑ "Rocks for crops: Sudan" (PDF). University of Guelph. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
↑ O. A. E. Abdalla. "Evapotranspiration computed by Darcy's Law: Sudan case study" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-01-27.
↑ Terje Tvedt (2004). The Nile: an annotated bibliography. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 1-86064-879-7.

Major African geological formations

Plates	African Plate Somali Plate Madagascar Plate Seychelles Plate

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 Mwembeshi Shear Zone Todi Shear Zone Western Meseta Shear Zone

Orogens	Alpide Orogen Cape Fold Belt Damara Orogen East African Orogen Eburnean Orogen Gondwanide 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 White Nile rift

Sedimentary basins	Angola Basin Aoukar Blue Nile Basin Chad Basin Congo Basin Douala Basin El Djouf Foreland 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 Ethiopian Highlands East African mountains Great Escarpment Great Karas Mountains Guinée forestière 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

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