Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyDrainage Systems: Major Rivers and Lakes of Africa

Arrange the following major African lakes in order of their maximum depth, from the deepest to the shallowest.

  1. 1Lake Tanganyika
  2. 2Lake Malawi
  3. 3Lake Victoria
  4. 4Lake Chad

Answer

The correct order from deepest to shallowest is Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, and Lake Chad.
The correct sequence arranges the lakes by maximum depth: Lake Tanganyika is the deepest (~1,470 m), followed by Lake Malawi (~706 m), Lake Victoria (~84 m), and finally Lake Chad (~11 m).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the deepest African lake formed within the East African Rift System.
Lake Tanganyika is the deepest in Africa (~1,470 m).
Rift valley formation creates steep, deep grabens.
2
Identify the second-deepest rift valley lake in Africa.
Lake Malawi is second (~706 m).
It occupies a deep rift trough similar to Tanganyika.
3
Identify the depth of the major downwarped basin lake.
Lake Victoria is third (~84 m).
It formed in a shallow saucer-shaped crustal depression rather than a rift fault.
4
Identify the shallowest interior drainage lake in the group.
Lake Chad is the shallowest (~11 m).
It is an endorheic basin lake with low average depth.

Key Concept

Relative depths and geomorphological origins of major African lakes
Rate this question

Topics

Drainage Systems: Major Rivers and Lakes of Africa

More questions from this topic