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Recent Examples of rift valley
Valles Marineris is an enormous rift valley system on Mars that scientists want to scour for traces of liquid water, which may exist in sheltered niches and serve as an habitat for possible life.
—
Leonard David, Space.com, 31 May 2026
And its landscape is otherworldly—with a rift valley, lava fields torn apart by tectonic forces, and gorges and fissures aplenty.
—Carinne Geil Botta, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
If the two plates keep moving apart, then eventually the Arabian Sea and rift valley will become a new ocean.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2025
The rift valleys of East Africa are some of the largest and most spectacular topographic features on Earth.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
There is a rift valley on the Rio Grande in the desert of New Mexico where an award-winning home sits.
—Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley with lava fields and cones.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Valles Marineris is thought to be a rift valley, formed by uplift when hot material from the Mars's mantle bubbled up and stretched the planet's crust.
—Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2010
Leonard David, Space.com, 31 May 2026
And its landscape is otherworldly—with a rift valley, lava fields torn apart by tectonic forces, and gorges and fissures aplenty.
—Carinne Geil Botta, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
If the two plates keep moving apart, then eventually the Arabian Sea and rift valley will become a new ocean.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2025
The rift valleys of East Africa are some of the largest and most spectacular topographic features on Earth.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
There is a rift valley on the Rio Grande in the desert of New Mexico where an award-winning home sits.
—Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley with lava fields and cones.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Valles Marineris is thought to be a rift valley, formed by uplift when hot material from the Mars's mantle bubbled up and stretched the planet's crust.
—Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rift valley
Noun
-
In December 2017, Said took some of his executives on a corporate retreat on the Iranian island of Qeshm, a fishing community with salt caves, mangrove forests, and dramatic canyons.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
The canyons are layered with color; evergreen junipers and chartreuse shrubs blanket the ground.—
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Motorists traveling in these areas this morning, including I-26 in the Asheville and Hendersonville areas, and I-40 through the Pigeon River gorge should use extra caution.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
-
Most long-distance Amtrak trains feature Sightseer Lounges with floor-to-ceiling glass domed windows, perfect for taking in the soaring desert canyons, rugged mountain ranges, and towering river gorges, all from the comfort of your seat.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The cocktail menu is a nod to the gulch’s history and Atlanta’s evolution—and revelers will also love the very champagne-forward wine list.—
Katie Kelly Bell,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The road to the potato patches — where the community grows most of its vegetables — crosses several large gulches that frequently spill tons of rock and soil onto the track, requiring regular maintenance.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The hotel is near surreal valleys, honeycombed with cave dwellings and frescoed Byzantine cave churches.—
Anya von Bremzen,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
-
Between them sits a dry ravine, or barranca.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Martin acknowledged piling bison carcasses in a gulley for erosion control.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
Pacer Hasan Ali dismissed Shadman Islam for 10, with Saud Shakeel taking a catch at gully after the batter was surprised by the extra bounce.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Schizophrenia, bipolar, autism, anxiety, depression – all of these topics are almost global bestsellers.—
Jon LaPook,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development, and a tropical depression is likely to form in early June, Berg wrote.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Pause for lunch, then drift through fishing villages, beaches and glens that define Donegal’s rugged character.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
-
The eldest of Scotland’s two national parks, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, is centered around Great Britain’s largest freshwater lake, Loch Lomond, alongside the mountains, forests, and glens of the Trossachs.—
Andrea Bussell,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rift valley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift%20valley. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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