Elgeyo escarpment
Encyclopedia
Elgeyo escarpment is a fault-scarp caused by post-Miocene faulting and there are Miocene
beds visible. The escarpment
is part of the western wall of the Great Rift Valley
.
The northwest part of Kenya
has three main geographic zones running in parallel north to south. There is the highland plateau, which rises gradually to 3,350 meters above sea level, on the Cherangani Hills
. In the intermediate zone is the Elgeyo Escarpment which rapidly gives way to the lower Kerio Valley
. The yearly rainfall in the escarpment area ranges between 100–140 cm.
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
beds visible. The escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
is part of the western wall of the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
.
The northwest part of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
has three main geographic zones running in parallel north to south. There is the highland plateau, which rises gradually to 3,350 meters above sea level, on the Cherangani Hills
Cherangani Hills
Cherangani Hills, gently rolling slopes in the western highlands of Kenya, are one of Kenya's five main forests. The highlands, the large central plateau, is divided by the Mau Escarpment rising from the border with Tanzania up to the Cherangani Hills, fencing the plateau that rises to the slopes...
. In the intermediate zone is the Elgeyo Escarpment which rapidly gives way to the lower Kerio Valley
Kerio Valley
Kerio Valley lies between the Tugen Hills and the Elgeyo escarpment at an elevation of 1,000 m. in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. The valley lies in a narrow, long strip approximately 80 km by 10 km wide at its widest, through which the Kerio River flows....
. The yearly rainfall in the escarpment area ranges between 100–140 cm.