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In the United States, the giant Rio Grande tectonic fault continues to widen, spanning an area of about 415 thousand square kilometers. Geologists suggest that in a very distant future this zone could expand so much that a new ocean might form in its place.
This is written about by WPtech.
The Rio Grande Rift in the southwestern United States is one of the few active continental rift zones on the planet. According to estimates, there are only five such zones in the world where the Earth's crust continues to stretch and reshape the terrain.
Despite the name, the Rio Grande is not only a famous river and canyon. The geological fault spans a huge territory that stretches across several American states.
Its area is approximately 415 thousand square kilometers. That is almost twice the area occupied by the European Carpathians.
The rift forms a complex system of mountain ranges and depressions that extend far beyond the channel of the river of the same name. The emergence of these geological structures was caused by the gradual stretching of the Earth's crust.
The formation of the fault began approximately 29–35 million years ago. During that period, the interior regions of the North American continent underwent large-scale tectonic changes.
Around 20 million years ago, crustal stretching led to the further subsidence of certain areas. Meanwhile, the Colorado Plateau remained relatively stable.
To the south, west, and east of the plateau, basins began to form. A long system of such hollows along the eastern part of the plateau gradually transformed into the Rio Grande Rift.
Tectonic processes were accompanied by earthquakes and changes in the terrain. In particular, movements along the eastern edge of the rift helped uplift mountain ranges in the central part of New Mexico.
Interestingly, the river of the same name appeared much later than the geological fault. Most geologists believe the Rio Grande became a large river system only 1–2 million years ago.
Its formation is linked to snow accumulation at high elevations of the Rocky Mountains. Meltwater began to flow from the area of present-day Colorado into New Mexico, using existing depressions.
This distinguishes the Rio Grande from many other rivers that gradually carve their own valleys. In this case, water began to flow through a system of hollows formed by tectonic processes long before the appearance of the large river.
Ancient Rio Grande passed through the basins of Upper Arkansas, San Luis, Española, and Albuquerque. At this stage, its channel stretched to about 550 kilometers and reached the area of the modern town of Socorro in New Mexico.
Geological processes in the Rio Grande zone continue today. The crust continues to slowly stretch, causing the rift to gradually widen.
Some geologists suggest that if these processes continue for a long time, the fault in a very distant future could widen enough to become an oceanic basin. Currently, the Rio Grande remains an active continental rift zone.
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