Showing results for rift basin.

rift basin

American

[rift bay-suhn] / ˈrɪft ˌbeɪ sən /

noun

Geology. a long depression formed in the earth's crust by the stretching apart of tectonic plates, the opening of which can accumulate oil-rich sediment and other valued resources as well as being a catalyst to volcanic and seismic activity. Compare foreland basin.

Example Sentences

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A rift basin forms where continental crust is being pulled apart, and the crust on both sides the rift subsides.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The East African rift basin represents an early stage in this process.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The West Nile region forms part of Uganda's Albertine rift basin where the East African state has discovered an estimated 3.5 billion barrels worth of crude oil reserves.

From Reuters • Oct. 28, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023