Mount Meru (Tanzania)

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Mount Meru

Mount Meru, October 2002
Elevation 4,566 metres (14,980 feet)
Location Arusha Region, Tanzania
Coordinates 3°14′S 36°45′E
Type Stratovolcano
Last eruption 1910[1]
First ascent 1904 by Fritz Jäger
Easiest route hike

Mount Meru is an active volcano located 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro. It reaches 4,566 metres (14,980 feet) in height but has lost much of its bulk due to an eastward volcanic blast about 8,000 years ago, similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. Mount Meru most recently had a minor eruption about a century ago. The several small cones and craters seen in the vicinity probably reflect numerous episodes of volcanic activity.

Mount Meru Summit, Dawn - To the right is an ash cone that has formed in the old crater.
Mount Meru Summit, Dawn - To the right is an ash cone that has formed in the old crater.

Mount Meru is the topographic centerpiece of Arusha National Park. Its fertile slopes rise above the surrounding savanna and support a forest that hosts diverse wildlife, including nearly 400 species of birds, and also monkeys and leopards.

At the summit in 2006, one can find a 2m high flag of Tanzania in metal and also a milestone in concrete with "Socialist Peak 4562.13M" written.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=0202-16= Global Volcanism Program

[edit] External links