Glaciers are masses of ice found on top of mountains or at the poles of the Earth. In Africa, there are only three places where glaciers can be found: Mount Kenya in Kenya, Mount Ruwenzori in Uganda, and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Kilimanjaro Glaciers
The glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro are believed to have formed in 9700 BC and have persisted for over 11,000 years. The prolonged ice ages that have occurred over the years have caused the glaciers to reappear on the mountain.
The Kilimanjaro glaciers are not stable due to the melting caused by heated rocks, leading to the glaciers losing their grip. The brilliant white color of the ice reflects heat, allowing it to survive. The black lava rock on which the glaciers are found also absorbs heat, leading to the glaciers melting from beneath. The glaciers come in different shapes and sizes.
According to a UN report, glaciers across the globe could be lost by 2050 due to climate change. The glaciers are said to have shrunk by 80 percent since the 20th century if the world can limit global warming by 1.5 degrees.
In 1976, the glaciers covered 113,000 square meters, and by 2000, their size had reduced to 11,000 square meters. The recent rate at which the glaciers are disappearing is very alarming. The rate of glacier decrease, from 1% from 1911 to 1953, increased to 2.5% from 1989 to 2007.
The ice fields and snow have protected the Kilimanjaro glaciers for thousands of years, but the disappearance of the snow and exposure to the sun have left the glaciers exposed to melting. Mount Kilimanjaro’s glaciers don’t melt slowly into water but evaporate into vapor, forming clouds and sending precipitation to another area at a later time.
There is no solution to slow down or completely stop the glaciers from melting because it’s an issue of climate change.
Will Gadd once climbed Furtwangler Glacier in 2014 and then returned to climb again in 2020 but abandoned his mission because the glacier had become relatively smaller and the ice walls had become so thin.
- Furtwangler Glacier: Furtwangler Glacier was named after Walter Furtwangler, who attempted to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro in 1912. As of 2018, the glacier covered 11,000 square meters with a thickness of 6 meters. A large hole was discovered in 2006 by scientists near the center of the glacier, splitting it into two parts in 2007.
- Credner Glacier: Credner Glacier is situated around 5,500 to 5,800 meters on the northwestern slope of the peak. This glacier is rapidly decreasing due to its exposed location and is one of the largest glaciers on Kilimanjaro.
- Rebmann Glacier: Rebmann Glacier was named after German missionary and explorer Johann Rebmann, the first European explorer to report observations of snow and glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro in 1848.
- Arrow Glacier: Arrow Glacier is situated on the western slope of Mount Kilimanjaro’s peak, between elevations of 5,300 to 5,470 meters above sea level, close to the Lemosho route.
- Balleto Glacier: Balleto Glacier is located at the 1,200 breach wall below Diamond Glacier on the southwest slope of the peak, at elevations between 5,000 to 5,400 meters.
- Drygalsky Glacier: Unfortunately, Drygalsky Glacier has vanished. It was located on the northwestern slope of the peak and was named after German photographer Erich Von Drygalsky.
- Little Penck Glacier: The Little Penck Glacier is situated on the western slope of the peak.
Other glaciers include Decken Glacier, Gold Glacier, Heim Glacier, Kersten Glacier, and Ratzel Glacier. The glaciers that have vanished include Uhlig Glacier, Little Barranco Glacier, and Great Penck Glacier.