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Recent Examples of rift valley
The discovery is centered on the Diamantina Fracture Zone, which travels west from the southwesternmost tip of Australia into the Indian Ocean along a rift valley that formed some 50 million years ago, when the Down Under continent split from Antarctica.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 10 June 2026
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
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
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 10 June 2026
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
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
-
Mesa Verde continues to hold great cultural significance for the 27 pueblos and tribes whose ancestors once called the canyons, farms, cliffside and mesa dwellings home or who have other ties to the area.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
In late afternoon, about 44 firefighters were working to knock down flames in the canyon’s steep and rocky terrain, the department said.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
This natural marvel features a 125-foot curtain of water that cascades into a rocky gorge.—
Staff,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
The Zambezi River plunges into a deep gorge, creating a massive curtain of water and a cloud of mist that can rise high into the air.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 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
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
-
On the West Coast, heat alerts are in place in parts of California's San Joaquin Valley from Redding at the north end of the valley to Bakersfield at the south end, with actual high temperatures from 100 to possibly 105.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
If finding a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down inside your car and protect your head, or abandon your vehicle and seek shelter in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
14 June 2026
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 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
-
His high point will be long forgotten, disastrously undone by his successor to plunge the world into recession, if not depression.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Tasks can include smelling dangerously high or low glucose levels, smelling mood swings, anxiety and depression, smelling an impending seizure and many other tasks.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
14 June 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 15 Jun. 2026.
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