Apart from the Rift Valley, name three other relief’ features formed as a result of faulting.

KCSE Geography Paper 1 2015 Section B Question 8.

(a) (i) Apart from the Rift Valley, name three other relief’ features formed as a result of faulting. 

• Escarpments/scarp slopes.
• Tilt blocks.
• Fault steps.
• Block mountains/horst/fault block.

(ii) With the aid of diagrams, describe how the Great Rift Valley may have been formed by tensional forces.

• ​Layers of rocks are subjected to tensional forces when there is some instability within the earth’s crust.

​(b) Explain three ways in which faulting may influence drainage systems.

• Uplifting of landscape which leads to faulting may cause rivers to reverse their direction of fowl back tilting.
• Vertical faulting across a river may cause a change in the local base level resulting in the formation of a waterfall.
• Basins/depressions resulting from faulting may be filled with water to form lakes/inland drainage basins.
• Some rivers flow along fault lines forming fault guided drainage patterns.
• Some rivers may disappear into the ground through a fault forming underground streams.
• Uplift of some river channels may cause river rejuvenation.
• Faulting may expose underground water leading to formation of springs.

​(c) Describe four ways in which features resulting from faulting are of significance to the economy of Kenya.

1. Highlands /fault blocks formed through faulting are sources of rivers which provide water for agricultural/domestic/industrial use.
2. Faulting leads to formation of features that form beautiful scenery which promote tourism.
3. Faulting leads to the formation of lakes that are important fishing grounds/mining sites / irrigation.
4. Faulting has led to exposure of minerals that are mined to generate income.
5. The highlands formed through faulting influence the formation of relief rainfall on the windward side which favours agriculture/forestry/settlement.
6. Formation of faults scarps creates deep faults which are passages of steam jets that are harnessed to generate geothermal power.
7. Fault scarps lead to the formation of natural waterfalls which are suitable sites for HEP production.

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