Lesson on Significance of Faulting To Human Activities
Answer Text: Significance of Faulting To Human Activities 1. Rift valley lakes are important for fishing, irrigation and domestic use. 2. The Rift Valley and associated features are a tourist attraction which earns foreign exchange. 3. Hot springs and geysers formed during faulting can be harnessed for geothermal power.4. Block Mountains are water catchment areas and sources of rivers due to the heavy rainfall they receive on the windward side. 5. Faulting results in the exposure of minerals such as diatomite in Gilgil and Fluorspar in Kerio Valley. 6. Fault scarps may expose underground water resulting in the formation of scarp springs. 7. Unequal subsidence caused by faulting may cause formation of depressions which may form lakes which useful for fishing, transport and mining e.g. L. Naivasha. Negative 1. Faulting disrupts transport and communication by disjointing land. 2. Faulting may lead to loss of life and property by causing land to sink. 3. Faulting may cause a river to disappear or change its course and flow along the fault line. 4. Steep scarp slopes formed by faulting are prone to soil erosion. 5. Faulting has given rise to semi-desert conditions in some areas when Block Mountains on the path of rain winds cause leeward sides to receive little rainfall.
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