March 23, 2012 at 6:57 pm

Picture of the Day: Mount Kilimanjaro from Above

by twistedsifter

 

MOUNT KILIMANJARO FROM ABOVE

 

mount kilimanjaro aerial from above Picture of the Day: Mount Kilimanjaro from Above

 

This incredible aerial photograph of Mount Kilimanjaro was posted yesterday to Reddit, by user ninjao. He states the shot was taken by his friend who has now been identified as the very talented, Kyle Mijlof (thanks Mark!)

Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania, and the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres or 19,341 feet above sea level (the Uhuru Peak/Kibo Peak). It is composed of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo 5,895 m (19,341 ft); Mawenzi 5,149 m (16,893 ft); and Shira 3,962 m (13,000 ft). Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo’s crater rim.

Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano that began forming a million years ago, when lava spilled from the Rift Valley zone. Two of its three peaks, Mawenzi and Shira, are extinct while Kibo (the highest peak) is dormant and could erupt again. The last major eruption has been dated to 360,000 years ago, while the most recent activity was recorded just 200 years ago. [Source: Wikipedia]