The Awash River in the Afar Triangle.

Looks like a major site for a geological disaster, as the sea floods in from Djibuti into the Afar depression, which is below sea level.

Because it’s a triple plate junction on a rift valley, the possibility of catastrophic flooding exists.

The Awash would then live up to its name.

Given enough time, the whole region is expected to split open creating another Red Sea. But i’d be more worried about the rift filling up with lava in another flood basalt event.

This chasm opened up in the region in just a few days in 2005.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18114-giant-crack-in-africa-formed-in-just-days/

mollwollfumble said:

The Awash River in the Afar Triangle.

Looks like a major site for a geological disaster, as the sea floods in from Djibuti into the Afar depression, which is below sea level.

Because it’s a triple plate junction on a rift valley, the possibility of catastrophic flooding exists.

The Awash would then live up to its name.

Given enough time, the whole region is expected to split open creating another Red Sea. But i’d be more worried about the rift filling up with lava in another flood basalt event.

This chasm opened up in the region in just a few days in 2005.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18114-giant-crack-in-africa-formed-in-just-days/

Should have asked. Some of the world’s most important fossil sites are there. Would they be flooded?

Awash lol

dv said:

Awash lol

:-)

“Flooding of the Afar-Depression (3D Simulation)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKrC5iS4eOo

Lake Abbe is a salt lake, it doesn’t flow to the sea.

The skeleton of Lucy came from here. Australopithecus afarensis from Afar, obviously. From near Hadar.

Checking Google Earth for heights. False alarm, the site of Lucy is 800 m above sea level. Even Lake Abbe on the Awash is 270 m above sea level. That’s not very depressed.