2. Rift Valleys
There are rift valleys as large as the East African Rift (the largest on Earth). The image shown
below illustrates a rift valley in the West Eistla Region, near Gula Mons and Sif Mons.
Rift valley on Venus
3. The perspective in cases like this is synthesized from radar data taken from different positions
in orbit.
The East African Rift on Earth is a consequence of tectonic motion between the African and
Eurasian plates (the Dead Sea in Israel is also a consequence of this same plate motion). Large
rift valleys on Venus appear to be a consequence of more local tectonic activity, since the
surface of Venus still appears to be a single plate.