Grabens on Earth and Moon

Grabens, downdropped blocks between parallel faults, develop where planetary crust is stretched. The Dead Sea (NW view - left) lies in a fault valley that is forming as the Arabian tectonic plate pulls away from the African plate in response to Red Sea rifting. Most lunar grabens are found at edges of mare basins and were caused by extensional forces created when the basins filled with lava (~3 b.y. ago). Increasing weight in basins creates tension along the margins, followed by faulting and foundering of grabens.

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