Menengai

Menengai
Menengai Crater - view from the edge
Highest point
Elevation	2,278 m (7,474 ft)
Coordinates	0°12′S 36°04′E / 0.20°S 36.07°ECoordinates: 0°12′S 36°04′E / 0.20°S 36.07°E
Geography
Menengai Location in Kenya
Location	Kenya
Geology
Mountain type	Shield volcano
Last eruption	6050 BCE (?)
Climbing
Easiest route	via taking the north east route for bus

Menengai Crater is a massive shield volcano with one of the biggest calderas in the world, located in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya. It is the largest volcano caldera in Kenya and the second largest volcano caldera in Africa.^[1] Farmland occupies its flanks. The crater is located on the floor of the Rift Valley. The volcano formed about 200,000 years ago and the prominent 12 x 8 km caldera formed about 8000 years ago. The caldera floor is covered with numerous post caldera lava flows. The Menengai volcano is considered one of the best-preserved Krakatau-style calderas in the world.^[2] Menengai has very little sediment in the caldera which is a thick mass of lava boulders and inaccessible ridges. ^[3] Volcanic activity continues ^[4] and is used for geothermal power generation.^[5]

Menengai is located 10 km (6 mi) north of Nakuru, the fourth-biggest city in Kenya.

See also

• List of volcanoes in Kenya
• Menengai Forest

References

1. "Menengai Crater". Retrieved 28 February 2015.
2. Seach, John. "Menengai Volcano - John Seach". www.volcanolive.com. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
3. "Menengai Crater". Retrieved 28 February 2015.
4. "Menengai Crater Kenya / Rift Valley / Nakuru /". wikimapia. wikimapia. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
5. OBWOCHA, BEATRICE. "Menengai crater to become active again". Retrieved 28 February 2015.

See also

• "Menengai". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2009-01-27.