Kilimanjaro Formation
THE PANORAMA OF KILIMANJARO.
Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, is the most massive of 20 volcanoes located near the eastern side of the southern end of the East African rift valley (EAR).
The EAR is part of the Y shaped active continental rift system where the continental lithosphere is being stretched and thinned to create two new plates, the Nubian and Somalian plate.
The rifting of the EAR started on the Miocene around 22-25 million years ago and continues to this day. It is believed that as the Nubian and Somalian plates continue to move further apart, the lithosphere between them will become thinner and sink below sea level. A new oceanic lithosphere might develop along the center of the rift, forming a narrow ocean basin with its own mid oceanic ridge.
Mount Kilimanjaro took shape due to the dynamic process of continental rifting and sits on a divergent plate boundary, it consists of three volcanic peaks. The eruption of volcanoes is believed to have started roughly a million years ago as molten lava forced its way through cracks formed by the gradual thinning of the lithosphere. Initially, the lava was runny and spread out to form a gently sloping base. As time passed, the eruptions produced thicker, stickier lava, building up a volcanic peak. After volcanic activity ceased on the Shira peak, it collapsed to form a large caldera, now known as the Shira Ridge. Further eruptions gave rise to the other two main volcanic peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro: first Mawenzi, and then the currently inactive Kibo, as well as smaller secondary peaks.
KILIMANJARO THREE PEAKS:
Also called a stratovolcano (a term for a very large volcano made of ash, lava, and rock), Kilimanjaro is made up of three cones: Kibo 5,895m(19,341), Mawenzi 5,149m(16,893ft), and Shira 4,005m(13,140ft). Kibo is the summit of the mountain and the tallest of the three volcanic formations. While Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, Kibo is dormant and could possibly erupt again. Scientists estimate that the last time it erupted was 360,000 years ago. Mawenzi actually means ‘ the broken one,’ due to its shape that is actually not conical as of kibo. Shira on the other hand means “war.’ It’s a chagga term that described war and the area was used by the chagga foot soldiers to hide and regroup before advancing into another attack. The highest point on Kibo’s crater rim is called Uhuru, the Swahili word for “freedom.” The mountain is also known for its snow-capped peak; however, scientists warn that the snow might disappear within the next 20 years or so.
