30-120 km wide, with a west-facing scarp (east-plunging arch) along the southern half of its length that rises to 2300 m above the sea floor. Its movement is concurrent with the EAR.

Competing theories on geologic evolution

Over time, many theories have tried to clarify the evolution of the East African Rift. In 1972 it was proposed that the EAR was not caused by tectonic activity, but rather by differences in crustal density. Since the 1990s, evidence has been found in favor of mantle plumes beneath the EAR. Others proposed

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