Afar Triangle
East African depression
The Afar Triangle is a geological depression in the Horn of Africa where three tectonic plates are pulling apart—a rare place to observe continental rifting at the surface.
Also called the Afar Depression, it spans parts of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti.
The region is one of Earth's hottest and lowest inhabited areas, featuring volcanic activity and the Danakil Desert.
It has yielded major fossil discoveries of early human ancestors, including the famous "Lucy" skeleton.
Horn of Africa nation
- EritreaEast African coastal nation
- DjiboutiEast African coastal state
- Horn of AfricaNortheast African peninsula
- East AfricaContinental region by Indian Ocean
Red Sea · Great Rift Valley · lowlands · remote · inaccessible · borderlands
Crack or estrangement
- tectonic platesMobile crustal sections
- fissureNarrow crack in rock
- faultImperfection or blame
- grabenDowndropped block between faults
continental drift · plate boundary · extensional · fumarole · geothermal · lava lake · basalt · magma
Feminine name meaning light
- hominidBipedal primate family
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- human originsStudy of mankind's emergence
- paleoanthropologistResearcher of early hominids
excavation · bone fragments · prehistoric · Ardipithecus · hominin · fossil beds
To leave behind completely
- aridDevoid of water
- salt flatEvaporated lakebed crust
- salt panDried lakebed mineral deposit
- evaporiteMineral from dried brine
potash · halite · barren · scorching · parched · inhospitable · extreme heat · below sea level
Without fixed residence
- pastoralistGrazer of livestock
- salt tradeCommerce in crystalline preservative
- camel caravanLine of pack dromedaries
- herdersLivestock guardians and guides
traditional · seminomadic · clan · sultanate
Ethiopia
Horn of Africa nation
- EritreaEast African coastal nation
- DjiboutiEast African coastal state
- Horn of AfricaNortheast African peninsula
East Africa · Red Sea · Great Rift Valley · lowlands · remote · inaccessible · borderlands
rift
Crack or estrangement
- tectonic platesMobile crustal sections
- fissureNarrow crack in rock
- faultImperfection or blame
graben · continental drift · plate boundary · extensional · fumarole · geothermal · lava lake · basalt · magma · caldera
Lucy
Feminine name meaning light
- hominidBipedal primate family
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- human originsStudy of mankind's emergence
paleoanthropologist · excavation · bone fragments · prehistoric · Ardipithecus · hominin · fossil beds
desert
To leave behind completely
evaporite · potash · halite · barren · scorching · parched · inhospitable · extreme heat · below sea level · sulfur springs
nomadic
Without fixed residence
- pastoralistGrazer of livestock
- salt tradeCommerce in crystalline preservative
- camel caravanLine of pack dromedaries
herders · traditional · seminomadic · clan · sultanate
- prehistoric sitesStonehenge, Lascaux, Carnac, Altamira, Cro-Magnon
- Rift ValleyGreat Rift Valley, East African Rift, Albertine Rift, Hell's Gate, escarpments
- Afar Triangle
- African geologyGreat Rift Valley, Niger Delta, Rift Valley, Fouta Djallon, Mount Kilimanjaro
- DjiboutiIndependence Day
- fossil sitesdig site, excavation, quarry, dig, dig sites
Afar TriangleTibetan Plateau
Elevated Asian landmass
Mount Everest · high plateau · Himalayan peaks · Andes · Himalayas
Afar TriangleAntarctica
Southernmost continental landmass
Siberia · Arctic · temperate zone · mild climate · Greenland ice sheet