Earth:Menengai

From HandWiki
Short description: Shield volcano in Kenya
Menengai
Menengai crater view from the edge.jpg
Menengai Crater - view from the edge
Highest point
Elevation2,278 m (7,474 ft)
Coordinates [ ⚑ ] : 0°12′S 36°04′E / 0.20°S 36.07°E / -0.20; 36.07
Geography
Menengai is located in Kenya
Menengai
Menengai
Location in Kenya
LocationKenya
Geology
Mountain typeShield volcano
Last eruption6050 BCE (?)
Climbing
Easiest routevia taking the north east route for bus

Menengai Crater is a massive shield volcano with one of the biggest calderas in the world, in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya. It is the largest volcano caldera in Kenya and the second largest volcano caldera in Africa.[1] Volcanic formed rich loam soils enrich the adjacent farmland arounds its flanks. The crater is on the floor of the Rift Valley. The volcano formed about 200,000 years ago and the prominent 12 x 8 km caldera formed about 8000 years ago. The caldera floor is covered with numerous post caldera lava flows. The Menengai volcano is considered one of the best-preserved Krakatau-style calderas in the world.[2] Menengai has very little sediment in the caldera which is a thick mass of lava boulders and inaccessible ridges. [3] Volcanic activity continues [4] and a current project under the GDC is at an advanced stage towards geothermal power generation.[5]

Menengai is 10 km (6 mi) north of Nakuru, the fourth-biggest city in Kenya.

See also

  • List of volcanoes in Kenya
  • Menengai Forest

See also

References