https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2020-420 Preprint. Discussion started: 18 January 2021 c Author(s) 2021. CC BY 4.0 License. 1 Main Ethiopian Rift landslides formed in contrasting geological 2 settings and climatic conditions 3 4 Karel Martínek*1, 2, Kryštof Verner2, 3, Tomáš Hroch2, Leta A. Megerssa3, 2, Veronika 5 Kopačková2, David Buriánek2, Ameha Muluneh4, Radka Kalinová3, Miheret Yakob5, Muluken 6 Kassa4 7 *corresponding author 8 1 Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 9 Prague, 12843, Czech Republic (
[email protected]) 10 2 Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3, 118 21 Prague, Czech Republic 11 3 Institute of Petrology and Structural Geology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, Prague, 12843, 12 Czech Republic 13 4 School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Arat Kilo, 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 14 5 Geological Survey of Ethiopia, CMC road, Bole Keb.10/Wor.6, POBox: 2302, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 15 16 Abstract. The Main Ethiopian Rift (MER), where active continental rifting creates specific conditions for landslide 17 formation, provides a prospective area to study the influence of tectonics, lithology, geomorphology, and climate on 18 landslide formation. New structural and morphotectonic data from CMER and SMER support a model of 19 progressive change in the regional extension from NW – SE to the recent E(ENE) – W(WSW) direction driven by 20 the African and Somalian plates moving apart with the presumed contribution of the NNE(NE) – SSW(SW) 21 extension controlled by the Arabic Plate. The formation and polyphase reactivation of faults in the changing regional 22 stress-field significantly increase the rocks’ tectonic anisotropy and the risk of slope instabilities forming.