Mount Meru (Tanzania)

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Mount Meru

Mount Meru, October 2002
Elevation 4,566 metres (14,980 ft)
Location Arusha Region, Tanzania
Coordinates 3°14′S 36°45′E / -3.233, 36.75Coordinates: 3°14′S 36°45′E / -3.233, 36.75
Type Stratovolcano
Last eruption 1910[1]
First ascent 1904 by Fritz Jäger[2]
Easiest route hike
Mt. Meru (Tanzania)
Mt. Meru
Mt. Meru
Location in Tanzania

Mount Meru is an active volcano located 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro. At a height of 4,566 metres (14,980 ft), it is still visible from Mt Kilimanjaro on a clear day[3]. Much of its bulk was lost about 8,000 years ago due to an eastward volcanic blast, similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the U.S. state of 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's ash cone that has formed in the old crater.
Mount Meru's 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, one can find a two metre high flag of Tanzania in metal and also a milestone in concrete with "Socialist Peak 4562.13M" written.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program: Mount Meru
  2. ^ Mount Meru at SummitPost.org
  3. ^ A view of Mount Meru from Mount Kilimanjaro

[edit] External links