India, Nov. 14 -- Falling water levels in one of Africa's largest lakes, driven by changes in climate, led to a rise in earthquakes, according to a new study led by researchers from Syracuse University and the University of Auckland.

The study has been published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. Climate plays a key role in modulating the rate of continental rifting, which can drive phases of greater earthquakes or volcanic activity, it showed.

The analysis linked a long-term lake drop of roughly 100-150 metres over the past 6,000 years to measurable increases in fault slip rates within the East African Rift System-a vast tectonic zone where Africa is slowly splitting apart.

The research was conducted on Lake Turkana, the world'...