Geological Observations of Plate Rupture in Afar, Ethiopia

A project description details the 2005 Afar depression rupture event, where a 60 km fissure opened and the ground dropped by up to 1 meter. The proposed five-year study by UK, Ethiopian, and US scientists aims to measure surface deformation and magma movement using satellite imagery and ground sensors.

Use Cases

• Analyze satellite imagery to measure surface subsidence of up to 3 meters above volcanoes following magma injection.
• Correlate earthquake data with fissure opening events, such as the 8-meter rift separation recorded over a week in September 2005.
• Model plate stretching processes using deformation data from the unique 3000 km-long East African rift valley system.

Strengths

• Focuses on a unique, directly measured geological event with a 60 km rupture length and 8 meters of separation.
• Proposes a multi-year, international collaboration involving the British Geological Survey and experts in deformation and volcanism.
• Leverages satellite observations in a hot, dry region with minimal vegetation obscuring surface rock features.

Limitations

• The input is a project proposal description; no actual dataset, sample data, or column definitions are provided.
• Key details like data volume, format, specific measurement variables, and collection timeline are currently unknown.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Proposed integration of satellite imaging and ground-based sensor deployment.

Time Range

Focuses on events from September 2005, with a proposed five-year study period.

Freshness

null

Geography

Afar depression in northern Ethiopia, part of the East African rift valley.