rift rock (IMAGE) Penn State Caption Rocks collected from Kilbourne Hole crater in New Mexico revealed the thinning lithosphere in the Rio Grande continental rift provides heat necessary to stabilize continents over billions of years. Credit Penn State Usage Restrictions non commercial use only License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.