Ethiopia Mountain

The Afar Depression, the Main Ethiopian Rift and the Escarpments constitute the main seismic belts in Ethiopia. These regions belong to East African Rift system and their seismicity can be explained in terms of plate tectonics. According to the theory of plate tectonics the earth’s surface may be divided into a number of rigid spherical [...]

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Precambrian tectonics Three Precambrian are present, Lower, Middle and Upper. They are clearly separable in structural style. The rocks of the Lower Complex from large blocks separated and surrounded by folded belts of the Upper Complex. The Middle complex is minor in extent, filling some troughs in the Lower Complex. The Upper Complex appears to [...]

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The major characteristics of Ethiopia’s relief and landscape which have been summarised above are also illustrated in the cross-sections which have been associated with the relief map. In particular, these cross-sections serve to illustrate: (a) the highly dissected character of the landscape over much of Ethiopia’s territory (b) the limited extent to which flat surfaces are present [...]

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The specific features of the various relief and drainage area are considered later in the atlas. This map is concerned with the general characteristics of the relief of the country. The major physical features are the results of the extensive and spectacular faulting which cracked the old crystalline block of the African continent along its [...]

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The outer lowlands of Ethiopia are to the west of the western highlands, and to the east and south of the south eastern highlands. Areas of ancient crystalline lowlands, in northern Eritrea, northwestern Welega and southern Borena, have inselberg topography, isolated hills scattered over the well-developed plains. The Baro-Akobo basin forms a vast, flat lowland [...]

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The lower rift valley is generally of low altitude, (300-700 metres) being mainly large plains and low table land. In Dalol-Asale district, the land falls to about 110 metres below sea level. Active volcanoes are numerous here. Some lakes in the hot Danakil depression have dried up and become salt flats. (Source: National Atlas of [...]

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The central lowlands Ethiopia from Chew Bahir to the Gulf of Zula between the walls of the two highlands, are covered with recent volcanic material and patches of older and new lava and recent sedimentary materials. The lakes sub-region, from Ziway to Chamo, is a relatively higher area than the Afar plain. East flowing rivers [...]

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Ethiopia is a country of great geographical diversity with high and rugged mountains, flat topped plateaus, deep gorges, incised river valleys and rolling plains. Over the ages, erosion, volcanic eruptions, tectonic movements and subsidence have occurred and continued through millennia to accentuate the unevenness of the surface. Altitudes range from the highest peak at Ras [...]

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In this generalized soils record only the dominant soil types are indicated. The area percentages given for each soil unit are the percentage of occurrence of the soil type over the country as dominant soil, as well as in association with other soil types. The nomenclature used is the FAO/UNESCO legend for the soil map [...]

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The basement upon which all younger formations were deposited contains the oldest rocks in the country, the Precambrian, with ages of over 600 million years. They are exposed in areas where the younger cover rocks have been eroded away; namely, in parts of Harerge, Sidamo, Bale, Ilubabor, Gojam, Welega, Gonder, and Tigray Administrative Regions. The [...]

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