What is an active volcano in Africa. Interesting facts about African volcanoes. Volcanoes Emi-Kusi, Tuside, Tarso Vun, Tarso Yega and Tarso Tun
When I read “Doctor Aibolit” by Chukovsky as a child, I had no idea that the good doctor had traveled to almost all the natural attractions of Africa. He was on the largest island archipelago of Tanzania (Zanzibar, 75 islands), and on the “crocodile river” Limpopo, and on the highest African mountain Kilimanjaro. But at that time I had absolutely no idea that Kilimanjaro was also a potentially active volcano.
Where and why were African volcanoes formed?
Mountain building in Africa did not occur, as usual, along the edges of the continent, but almost along its center. Closer to the eastern part of the continent there is a fault, the length of which reaches almost 6,000 km, and the width varies from 75 to 125 km. This natural crack received the toponym “Great African Rift” and arose at the junction of two lithospheric plates - the Arabian and African.
This is what poses a threat of seismic activity to East African countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda. All active volcanoes are located right along the edges of the crack, because... The earth's crust has not yet calmed down and is in permanent motion. Relatively recently, scientists discovered that a large depression has formed in the Ethiopian Afar Desert. In 2005, a series of powerful earthquakes occurred here, as a result of which the surface dropped 100 m below sea level. Summarizing the above, it can be argued that all active volcanoes are located in the eastern part of Africa, and their appearance is due to the convergence of two lithospheric plates.
The most dangerous volcanoes in Africa
For a volcano to be considered dangerous, it must be constantly active, its awakening could pose a threat to human life, and its activity must irreversibly affect the world(ash fall, surface cracks, etc.). Among African volcanoes these will be:
- Dabbahu - in Ethiopia.
- Ol Doinyo Lengai - in the United Republic of Tanzania.
- Nyiragonga - in the Republic of Congo.
Even suspicion of any activity of these volcanoes leads to the immediate evacuation of thousands of residents.
No one would even think of arguing that there are no mountains in Africa. Most of them are located on the territory of the Afro-Asian belt, which is the youngest mountain belt of our planet. It was formed approximately 39 million years ago. In northern Africa, this belt runs through Sudan and Ethiopia, stretches across the eastern part of the African continent and in its southern part ends in front of South Africa. It is also interesting to know that these mountains arose in the center of the lithospheric plate, and not on its sides. So far this plate is intact, but a fault up to 6000 km long, 80 to 120 km wide and up to 900 m deep has already been noticed on it. If you look at the map, the fault can be identified due to a chain of large lakes in the eastern part of the continent. The Great African Rift, which is also called the Great Rift Valley, includes not only lakes, but also highlands, plateaus, plains, and mountains.
Thanks to the seismic processes of the region, according to the staff of the geological center, due to the increase in the crack (fault), after some thousandth of a millennium, the eastern part of the African continent may become a separate island.
Volcanoes of Northeast Africa
Volcano Dallol
This is one of the oldest, most amazing, intriguing and mysterious volcanoes not only the African continent, but the entire earth. It is 900 million years old. Dallol is a volcanic rock located in the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia. It is the lowest volcano. The diameter of the crater is 1.5 km, and the height is 48 m below sea level. And, despite its age, it remains active. Last eruption it was in 1926.
Its “cosmic” appearance, which no other place on the planet can compare with, is the deposited salts of various minerals that saturate the water in hot springs. Only from the depths of the crater it doesn’t hit healing water, and thermal springs containing salt crystals, sulfur, hydrochloric acid and andesite. Thanks to this, the plains surrounding the Dallol crater are covered with layers of fantastic colors. The largest deposits of potassium salt are located in this alienated territory.
Volcanoes of Central-East Africa
Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest volcano in Africa
Kilimanjaro is an inactive, but the highest volcano in Africa, located in Tanzania on the Masai. It consists of three cones - extinct volcanoes, each of which has its own name. The central cone of the famous stratovolcano is called Kibo. Its height is 5897 m. At the top there is a caldera, the diameter of which is 3 km and the depth is 800 m. To date, only gas emissions have been observed. But in 2003, volcanologists found that boiling lava is located under the crater of the Kibo peak, only 400 m away, which can be fraught with the slightest earthquakes. The other two cones are called Mawenzi and Shira. Their heights are respectively 5149 and 3962 m above sea level. In the local dialect, Kilimanjaro is called the “white mountain”. And all because this volcano is a masterpiece of nature, since the path to its top covers everything climatic zones. At the foot it is equatorial, and at the top it is arctic. The summit of Kilimanjaro has been hidden for centuries eternal snows and it is very cold there. And this despite the fact that the volcano itself is located near the equator.
But according to the observations of scientists, the Kilimanjaro ice cover is melting at a high speed and it is not a fact that in a couple of years it will disappear completely.
Volcano Kenya
This is the most in Kenya. Volcano Kenya is an extinct stratovolcano, the height of which is 5199 m. Its crater with an area of up to 0.7 km 2 is also covered with a glacier, and yet it is located even closer to the equator than Kilimanjaro. But here, too, there is rapid melting of the snow cover, as a result of which the population of Kenya may be left without a natural source drinking water.
Volcanoes of East Africa
Volcano Meru
It is considered the third highest (4585 m) among African volcanoes. Meru is located in northern Tanzania, close to the famous Kilimanjaro. They are separated by only 40 km. It is possible that Mount Meru was much higher and had an attractive tourist attraction. appearance. First known violent eruption this volcano was recorded 250 thousand years ago. After that, there were still active phases on it, expressed in very strong emissions. This led to the fact that the mountain changed greatly (it was especially damaged on the eastern side).
Its last activity was observed in 1910. Now he has fallen asleep, but scientists do not give guarantees that he will not wake up soon.
Volcano Ol Donyo Lengai
160 km from Kilimanjaro, in the northern part of Tanzania, there is the youngest, currently active, very mysterious stratovolcano Ol Donyo Lengai (2962 m). The first mention of its eruption dates back to 1883. Then it became more active from 1904 to 1910, from 1913 to 1915. Especially noted are 1917, 1926, 1940 - the years of the strongest eruptions, when volcanic ash flew from 48 km to 100 km from the volcano crater. In the subsequent years 1954, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1966, calmer eruptions were observed.
This volcano is considered unique because of its natrocarbonate lava. There is no such unusual lava anywhere. It is black and the coldest - 500-600°C. What is also surprising is that, looking at the color of such lava, geologists and volcanologists can accurately tell how old it is. This lava has several more interesting properties. She is liquid like water. As soon as a small crack or hole appears, it immediately penetrates them and drips down, and at the same time, fascinating stalactites are formed. And when interacting with rainwater, the lava is destroyed and, in fact, in a few days, it changes its color from black to light gray (almost white).
Periodically, the crater is either empty or filled to the brim with lava, in which the ejected particles layer and form ornithos (small cones) from the crater of which lava is also ejected. Ornithos sometimes grow up to 20 meters, but are quickly destroyed by wind and hot air.
During the eruption in 1960, the top of the volcano collapsed, and a deep (100 m) crater was formed, in which there is a small crater under a layer of rock. lava lake 6 m deep. Volcanologists have found that this seething lava emits 3 times more carbon dioxide into the air compared to other volcanoes.
Volcanoes of West Central Africa
Volcano Cameroon (Faco)
Due to the heterogeneity of the geological structure, topography and underground processes, active volcanoes are observed in Central Africa to this day. In OR Cameroon, near Atlantic Ocean, the Cameroon (Faco) volcano stands tall. Its height is 4070 m. It is very active. It is known that in the twentieth century there were more than 5 eruptions, and their force was very strong. People living near it had to leave their homes and look for other residence permits. A characteristic feature of this volcano is that it rains every year on its western and southwestern sides. greatest number precipitation throughout the African continent.
Volcanoes Emi-Kusi, Tuside, Tarso Vun, Tarso Yega and Tarso Tun
A significant part of the area occupied by the Republic of Chad is the flat desert plain of the Sahari. In the northern part of this desert is the Tibesti Highlands, the slopes of which are divided by peak-shaped volcanic hills, crevices and short-term water streams. And in the center there are five shield caldera volcanoes: Emi-Kusi, Tuside, Tarso Vun, Tarso Yega and Tarso Tun.
The highest point of the highland is shield volcano Emi-Kusi. Its height is 3415 m. It is a dormant volcano. Its crater is a double caldera, one of which reaches 13 km in diameter and has a depth of up to 700 m, and the other has a diameter of up to 11 km and a depth of 350 m. The bottom of the crater is dry lake with fumarolic hot emissions of gases and water. It was last active in the 70s of the last century.
A couple of volcanoes in the western part of the highlands are active. The highest is Tuside. It stretched to a height of 3265 m and is solfatically active to this day.
The Tarso Vun volcano has the shape of a shield, the length of which is 60 km, width - 40 km, and height - 2900 m. At its top there is a caldera, the diameter of which reaches 18 km, and the depth - 1000 m.
Volcanoes Nyiragongo and Nyamlaghira
In the south of the west-central part of the African continent, in the Virunga Mountains, 20 km from Lake. Kivu and 18 km from the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the border with Rwanda, are the volcanoes Nyiragongo and Nyamlaghira. The fact is that it is in this area, called the Albertina Rift, that a deep crack has been recorded under a thin strip of the earth’s crust. In this regard, underground volcano-tectonic processes are still ongoing in this area, which explains the existence of active, harmless volcanoes here.
Nyiragongo has the shape of a perfect cone, on top of which there is a crater with a radius of 1000 m and a depth of up to 250 m. At the bottom of the crater there is a breathing lava lake of fire. The detached lava bulbs jump up to 30 m. It is considered the most dangerous volcano Earth. Scientists believe that last years lava eruptions from this volcano are occurring more and more often, and it is quite possible that during the next eruptions the lava can reach the city of Goma and wipe it off the face of the earth. For example, in 2002, despite advance warnings about the beginning of the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano, lava destroyed 14 thousand buildings and claimed up to 150 human lives.
At the lower base, the Nyiragongo volcano merges with the no less formidable Nyamlagira volcano. It woke up in 1865 and since then there have been at least 35 eruptions. The last eruption was observed on November 16, 2011. It turned out to be the largest in the last century. During this eruption, fiery lava was thrown to a height of more than 400 m.
Despite the fact that Africa is dominated by plains, mountain systems are also available here. Many of them are located in the Afro-Asian belt, the youngest mountain belt of our planet, which appeared about 40 million years ago and stretches from the south of the African continent to the Sea of Okhotsk.
How African volcanoes were formed
Mountains in Africa were formed not, as usual, on the sides of the lithospheric plate, but in the middle: in the east of the African continent there was a crack, the duration of which is about 6 thousand km, and the width ranges from 80 to 120 km.
This territory is quite vast. The Great African Rift runs along almost the entire east coast continent, starting from countries in the north of the continent such as Sudan and Ethiopia, and reaching the south - South Africa. IN this moment it is the largest fault on land, along which there are seismic zones, active, dormant and extinct volcanoes, as well as the African part of the mountain belt.
Relatively recently, geologists noticed that in Ethiopia, in the Afar Desert, a depression had formed, in which, after some time, there could well be an ocean: in 2005, several earthquakes occurred here in a row, as a result of which the land dropped one hundred meters below sea level.
The earth's crust has not calmed down and is in constant motion, as a result of which active tectonic processes are observed, including extremely strong activation of volcanoes in the area of Lake Victoria - in the west in the Virunga Mountains (southwest of Uganda) and in the east - in Northern Tanzania.
List of the largest volcanoes
In total, there are about 15 volcanoes in Africa. Many of them easily fall into the “best” category. For example, here is the Lengai volcano - the only fire-breathing mountain on the planet that spews black lava, and in Rwanda there is the world-famous national park, where the largest number of dormant volcanoes on our planet are located.
Speaking about African volcanoes, one cannot fail to mention:
Kilimanjaro
The height of the Kilimanjaro volcano is 5899 meters, and it is its peak that is the most high point African continent. It is located on the border between Kenya and Tanzania (mainly on the territory of the latter) and is located away from the nearby mountain range.
To climb this mountain, it is necessary to overcome absolutely all climatic zones of the Earth, from the equatorial (located at the foot of the mountain) to the Antarctic: at the top of the volcano it has been cold and snowy for thousands of years (and this is taking into account that its coordinates are only at three degrees south of the equator!).
Recently, the icy peak of Kilimanjaro has been melting at an alarming rate and, according to scientists, it is quite possible that in a few years the snow on it will disappear altogether.
It is on the African continent that the lowest volcano on our planet is recorded - Dallol, located 48 meters below sea level, and located within the famous Afar Triangle.
This volcano is very old - its age is about 900 million years. It is still quite active: despite the fact that the last time it erupted almost a hundred years ago, in 1929, it is currently awake - quite active processes are taking place in its depths, which we can observe thanks to the presence near it thermal springs filled with sulfuric and hydrochloric acid.
Thermal waters constantly bring salt crystals to the surface of the earth's crust, so about a thousand tons of salt appear annually near the volcano, which greatly affects the landscape - the crater of the volcano, the size of which is almost 1.5 thousand meters, is surrounded by plains of various shades and coloring books
Kenya
Volcano Kenya is the most high mountain Kenya, as well as the second highest mountain on the African continent: its height is 5199 meters. Currently, this mountain is an extinct stratovolcano, and therefore does not cause any concern to scientists.
Like Kilimanjaro, the top of the Kenya volcano is covered with glaciers, the area of which is 0.7 square meters. km - and this, despite the fact that it is located even closer to the equator than the very high mountain Africa and its geographical coordinates are:
- 0°09′00″ south latitude;
- 37°18′00″E longitude.
The snow cover here has been melting at an alarming rate lately and may soon disappear completely from the mountain. Until this happens, the melting snow of the volcano and precipitation falling on the mountain are an important source of drinking water for Kenya.
Meru
Mount Meru is the third highest volcano in Africa: its height is 4565 meters. The mountain is located in northern Tanzania, forty kilometers from Kilimanjaro (coordinates: 3°15′00″ south latitude, 36°45′00″ east longitude).
It is likely that in former times the Meru volcano was much higher, but 250 thousand years ago, during a powerful eruption, its peak was severely destroyed (its eastern part was especially hard hit). After this there were several more very strong emissions that significantly affected the appearance of the mountain.
The last time the Meru volcano erupted strongly was in 1910, since then it has calmed down somewhat and does not show much activity. Scientists do not give any guarantees that he will not wake up.
Cameroon
Volcano Cameroon is the highest point in Cameroon, with an altitude of 4070 meters and located near the Atlantic coast.
This volcano is quite active: in the last century alone it erupted more than five times, and the eruptions were so strong that people were often forced to look for new places of residence.
The western and southwestern sides of the volcano are the wettest place on the African continent, as almost 10 thousand mm of precipitation falls here per year.
In the Republic of the Congo, 20 km from the millionaire city of Goma, about 40% of all eruptions that occur on the African continent were recorded: two active volcanoes are located here - Nyiragongo and Nyamlagara.
The Nyiragongo volcano is especially dangerous: over the past 150 years it has erupted thirty-four times, and its volcanic activity often continued for several years after that. This volcano is dangerous primarily because of its extremely liquid lava, which during an eruption can move at a speed of 100 km/h.
This lava periodically comes to the surface in the crater of the Nyiragongo volcano, which is two kilometers wide, thus forming the largest hot lake on our planet with a constantly changing depth, the maximum values of which were recorded in 1977 and amounted to 600 meters. The walls of the crater could not withstand such a load, and the red-hot lava flows collapsed, which unexpectedly fell on the nearest villages, killing several hundred people.
Nowadays, given that the volcano has been erupting more frequently in recent years, scientists fear that lava is quite capable of reaching the city of Goma and destroying it, like Pompeii. Moreover, the first alarm bells have already sounded: in 2002, despite all the warnings about the danger, during the Nyiragongo eruption, lava reached the city, destroyed 14 thousand buildings and killed almost one hundred and fifty people.
There are many volcanoes on the African continent, especially in its eastern part. There are about fifty active dangerous mountains in Ethiopia alone. There are volcanoes in countries such as Tanzania, Democratic Republic Congo, South Africa, Cameroon, etc.
But how dangerous are these African mountains? Below are ten of the most terrifying ones.
Dabbahu (Ethiopia)
This active volcano is located in the East African Rift Valley. In 2005, its last eruption was so powerful that it created a 60 km long crack in the ground. The erupted ash spread over a radius of up to 40 km.
Three days after Dabbahu awakened, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 occurred. Ethiopian authorities were forced to evacuate more than 11 thousand local residents.
Marion Island (South Africa)
This small island is actually the summit of a huge underwater volcano, rising 1,242 meters above sea level. Indian Ocean. Over the past 40 years, the volcano has awakened twice: in 1980 and 2004.
Nowadays, only scientists living on this island are researching dangerous mountain. In case of danger, they will be able to evacuate by boat.
Ol Doinyo Lengai (Tanzania)
Translated from the language local tribe Maasai Ol-Doinyo-Lengai means "Mountain of God". In 2007, a powerful eruption caused a series of earthquakes reaching 6 points on the Richter scale. The volcano is very active - over the past ten years it has awakened four times.
Manda Hararo (Ethiopia)
This name unites a whole group of volcanoes that first woke up in 2007. Powerful eruptions lasted three days, but, fortunately, local residents were evacuated. Two years later, the volcano exploded again, creating lava flows up to 5 kilometers long.
Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon is the most dangerous volcano in western Africa. In 2000, after two of its eruptions, lava flows came close to the city of Buea. In 2012, the volcano exploded again, throwing into the air great amount ash.
Mount Cameroon poses a great danger to the 500 thousand people living in its immediate vicinity.
Nyamlaghira (Democratic Republic of Congo)
This volcano is considered the most active on the continent. For several decades he woke up every two years. After a major eruption in 2011, Nyamlaghira remained relatively quiet, but in recent years it has awakened, and a lava lake 500 meters deep has formed in its crater.
Although there are no populated areas near the volcano, it poses a great danger to neighboring Lake Kivu.
Fogo (Cape Verde)
On November 23, 2014, seismic activity near Mount Fogo first increased, and then the volcano exploded. Due to strong tremors local residents were completely evacuated. The eruption lasted almost 80 days, during which time two villages were destroyed. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
The entire island of Fogo is part of a huge volcano with a diameter of 25 km. If a major eruption occurs, it will put tens of thousands of residents in an extremely difficult situation.
Kartala (Comoros)
Mount Kartala, located on Ngazija Island, is active volcano, rising 2361 m above sea level. Over the past 120 years, it has erupted more than twenty times, so it is considered very dangerous.
In 2005, the volcano's activity reached its highest limit. The violent eruption of Kartala, accompanied by large lava flows and deadly volcanic gases, forced the evacuation of more than 30 thousand people.
In subsequent years, it flared up three more times, but much weaker. More than 300 thousand inhabitants of the island constantly live on a “powder keg”, because the next strong eruption could lead to a big catastrophe.
Nabro (Ethiopia)
In June 2011, there was a powerful eruption of the Ethiopian volcano Nabro. It was accompanied by powerful eruptions of lava and ash, as well as a series of earthquakes reaching a magnitude of 5.7. The ash that flew out of the crater rose to a height of 15 kilometers and scattered over a huge distance, complicating air travel for the entire region.
The main impact of the eruption fell on the Afar region of Ethiopia. More than thirty people died, thousands were evacuated. This eruption was the first for Nabro. Until this time, it was considered dormant, so no research was carried out.
Nyiragonga (Democratic Republic of Congo)
This Congolese volcano, shown in the main photo, is considered the most dangerous on the continent. Over the past 135 years, it has exploded at least 34 times.
Nyiragonga is deadly because of its lava. It is very liquid, so it can cover significant distances at high speed. In 1977, a lava flow moving at speeds of more than 60 km/h burned several villages and killed at least 70 people. 25 years later, after another strong eruption, a crack formed from the crater to the neighboring town of Goma, along which hot lava flowed. Almost 150 people died, about 400 thousand were evacuated.
The biggest danger coming from Nyiragonga comes from neighboring Lake Kivu. If lava gets into it, it could release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as happened in 1986 near Lake Nyos, where 1,700 people died from suffocation. Considering that more than two million people live near Kivu, the scale of the tragedy is difficult to even imagine.
Africa is not only the scorching sun and endless desert. This continent is also famous for its mountains and volcanoes, both dormant and active. In total, there are about 15 volcanoes in Africa. All of them are located in the fault region, which in turn divides the continent into two unequal territories. In this article we will talk about the largest volcanoes in Africa and their features.
Kilimanjaro
The Masai plateau in Tanzania is home to the most high volcano in Africa - Kilimanjaro. It consists of three peaks - Kibo (5897 m), Mawenzi (5149 m) and Shira (3962 m). It is the first peak that is the highest point of the continent. Today the volcano is considered dormant; scientists periodically observe the release of gas.
Mount Kilimanjaro is unique: being only 3 degrees from the equator, its peak all year round covered with glaciers. On the territory of the mountain, different climatic zones collide, from the equatorial at the foot of the mountain to the arctic at the top.
Scientists, observing and studying the mountain, found that the volcano could soon wake up. Volcanologists have determined that boiling lava is located only 400 meters from the crater, and a small earthquake will be enough for an eruption to begin.
At the top of Kibo there is a caldera, its depth is 800 meters and its diameter is about 3 km
Kenya
In Kenya there is a volcano of the same name, its height is 5199 m above sea level, and today it is considered extinct and does not pose any threat. The mountain peak is located even closer to the equator than Kilimanjaro, but just like it, it is covered with glaciers. According to research by volcanologists, the mountain was formed more than 3 million years ago.
In recent years, scientists have recorded a sharp warming in this area, and glaciers have begun to actively melt. In Kenya, meltwater flowing from the top of the mountain is the main source. Scientists predict that if the glaciers continue to melt at the same rate, they will completely disappear within a few years, which could lead to dire consequences for the entire population of Kenya.
The crater of Mount Kenya is 0.7 km in diameter
Meru
Third most big volcano in Africa it is Meru. It is located just 40 km from the famous Kilimanjaro. The height of this peak is 4565 m above sea level. According to volcanologists, in the relatively recent past (by the standards of the age of volcanoes and the planet as a whole), Meru was higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, but about 250 thousand years ago there was a strong eruption that radically changed the topography of the mountain peak and even destroyed a significant part of it, thereby making only the third highest on the mainland. Meru's last eruption occurred in 1910. After it, the volcano calmed down and shows virtually no activity, but it is difficult to call it dormant.
Scientists suggest that at any moment Meru could wake up and start spewing boiling lava
Cameroon
Not far from the Atlantic coast is Mount Cameroon. Its height is 4070 m above sea level. The mountain peak is the highest point in Cameroon and the 4th highest in all of Africa. This volcano is active and its eruptions are quite frequent, for example, Cameroon erupted 5 times in the last century. Each time this happened on a catastrophic scale, and people had to flee, leaving all their property. The fiery lava burned everything in its path, and the residents of Cameroon had no choice but to look for a new place to live.
An interesting fact is that on the western and southwestern sides of the mountain peak the most rainfall occurs. a large number of precipitation per year on the entire continent is about 10 thousand mm of precipitation.
Among the active volcanoes in Africa, Cameroon is the highest
Nyiragongo
The Republic of the Congo has the largest active volcano in Africa. Its height is about 3000 meters, and a hot lake with a diameter of 600 meters is always “seething” in the crater. Bulbs of lava break off and bounce up to a height of 30 meters. Nyiragongo is considered the most dangerous volcano not only in Africa, but on the entire planet. Over the course of 150 years, it erupted 34 times, and recently scientists have recorded an increase in its activity.
Magma in a hot lake periodically rises and falls.
Volcanologists suggest that if the crater (diameter 2000 meters) of Nyiragongo is filled to the brim, then its walls will not withstand such a load and, cracking in its most vulnerable part, will release a lava flow onto the city of Goma.
From the very top of the mountain there is a trench through which the hot magma will reach the settlement.
In 2002, a similar eruption already occurred, and about 14,000 buildings were destroyed and 150 people died, despite the fact that the authorities quickly got their bearings and notified the population about the disaster and began immediate evacuation.
In 1977, hot lava flowing from the top reached a speed of 70 km per hour
Ol Donyo Lengai
In the north of Tanzania there is a fairly young volcano called Ol Donyo Lengai. Its first eruption was recorded in 1883. After that, for 21 years it did not show any activity, but after the eruption in 1904, its activity has not decreased to this day. Every 2-5 years, Ol Donyo Lengai releases streams of red-hot lava that burn everything in its path.
A special feature of this volcano is its natrocarbonate lava. It is black in color, and the temperature of the magma is much lower compared to other volcanoes - only 500-600°C. Another feature of this lava is its consistency. It is liquid, like water, and can seep into a small crack. As it cools, the magma hardens and within a few days changes its color, becoming light gray, almost white. Thanks to this property, scientists can accurately determine how many days she is. Fossilized magma is destroyed by rainwater.
The height of Ol Donyo Lengai is 2962 meters
Dallol
Talking about the largest volcanoes in Africa, I would like to mention the smallest - Dallol. Its location is unique and interesting; it is located 48 meters below sea level. Dallol is the lowest not only on its continent, but on the entire planet.
Scientists have determined the approximate age of this mountain peak – about 900 million years, despite this it is considered active. The last eruption occurred in 1929, but even now scientists are observing its active processes. This became possible thanks to the thermal springs located near it, filled with sulfuric and hydrochloric acid. In the area where Dallol is located, the landscapes are quite colorful thanks to the salts that come to the surface from thermal springs.
About 1,000 tons of salt reach the surface of Dallol every year.
Despite the fact that the territory of Africa is huge, the bulk of all volcanoes are concentrated in the area of the Great African Rift. Due to the instability of tectonic plates and their movement, there are quite dangerous Mountain peaks, which periodically erupt hot lava onto the surface of the earth, but most of them are dormant or relatively calm and are of interest to volcanologists and tourists.