Geological process
Continental rifting
The stretching, faulting and thinning of continental lithosphere, often accompanied by magmatism, which may progress to complete breakup and the formation of a new ocean basin.
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EstablishedStretching produces fracturing, magma rise and further fracturing, building a rift zone.
When continental crust is stretched beyond its limits, tension cracks appear at the surface; magma rises and squeezes through the widening cracks, sometimes erupting to form volcanoes, and the rising magma puts further pressure on the crust to produce additional fractures and, ultimately, the rift zone.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · one source
Evidence: Kious 1996 · Primary authority
Record last updated 2026-09-06. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.