Afar is junction for the red- Sea, gulf of aden and main ethiopian rifts the timing ofrnInitiation of in the other sectors of the ethiopian rifts is wellrnUnderstood. However. there is a poor understanding of the onset of rifing in the northernrnMain ethiopian rift the objective of the present study is to establish chronology of rnRifing and volcanism in the northern main ethiopian rift. And correlate this with thernother sectors of the rift to the south afar. Red- sea and aden rifts.