Changes

== Origin ==

== Origin ==

[[File:EAfricaRift updated.gif|thumbnail|400px|right|The East African Rift, where three plates are pulling away from one another: the Arabian Plate and two parts of the African Plate—the Nubian and Somali—which eventually led to the formation of the Lwandle plate as well as other micro-plates. The Afar Triangle, shaded at the center, is a [[triple junction]] that separates the three plates.<ref name=website>{{cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/East_Africa.html|title=U.S. Geological Survey|accessdate=25 October 2014}}</ref>]]

[[File:EAfricaRift updated.jpg|thumbnail|400px|right|The East African Rift, where three plates are pulling away from one another: the Arabian Plate and two parts of the African Plate—the Nubian and Somali—which eventually led to the formation of the Lwandle plate as well as other micro-plates. The Afar Triangle, shaded at the center, is a [[triple junction]] that separates the three plates.<ref name=website>{{cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/East_Africa.html|title=U.S. Geological Survey|accessdate=25 October 2014}}</ref>]]

For many years it was widely accepted that rifting in the [[East African Rift]] system, 22-25 million years ago, resulted in the splitting of the African Plate into 2 smaller plates - the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate.<ref name="astro geophys">{{cite journal|last1=Ebinger|first1=C.J.|title=Continental break-up: the East African perspective|journal=Astro. Geophys.|date=2005|volume=46|issue=2}}</ref>  However, most recently, through the application of GPS technology and integration of earthquake data, it was discovered that the rift created three additional “micro-plates” plates - the Lwandle Plate, [[Victoria Plate]], and [[Romuva Plate]].<ref name=Saria_2014 />

For many years it was widely accepted that rifting in the [[East African Rift]] system, 22-25 million years ago, resulted in the splitting of the African Plate into 2 smaller plates - the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate.<ref name="astro geophys">{{cite journal|last1=Ebinger|first1=C.J.|title=Continental break-up: the East African perspective|journal=Astro. Geophys.|date=2005|volume=46|issue=2}}</ref>  However, most recently, through the application of GPS technology and integration of earthquake data, it was discovered that the rift created three additional “micro-plates” plates - the Lwandle Plate, [[Victoria Plate]], and [[Romuva Plate]].<ref name=Saria_2014 />