This article is about the shield volcano. For the historical administrative district, see Mount Elgon District.
Mountain Elgon is an extinctshield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya,[4] north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda.[1][5] Although there is no verifiable evidence of its earliest volcanic activity, geologists estimate that Mount Elgon is at least 24 million years old, making it the oldest extinct volcano in East Africa.[6] The mountain's name originates from its Maasai name, Elgonyi.[7]
Mount Elgon (left center) is located on the Uganda-Kenya border, in Western Province, north of Kakamega, west of Kitale.
Mount Elgon is a massive solitary volcanic mountain on the border of eastern Uganda and western Kenya. Its vast form, 80 kilometres (50 mi) in diameter, rises 3,070 metres (10,070 ft) above the surrounding plains. Its cooler heights offer respite for humans from the hot plains below, and its higher altitudes provide a refuge for flora and fauna.
Mt. Elgon consists of five major peaks:
Wagagai (4,321 metres (14,177 ft)), in Uganda
Sudek (4,302 metres (14,114 ft)) on the Kenya/Uganda border
Koitobos (4,222 metres (13,852 ft)), a flat-topped basalt column in Kenya
Mubiyi (4,211 metres (13,816 ft)) in Uganda
Masaba (4,161 metres (13,652 ft)) in Uganda
Other features of note are:
The caldera — Elgon's is one of the largest intact calderas in the world.[8]
Ngwarisha, Makingeny, Chepnyalil, and Kitum caves: Kitum Cave is over 60 metres (200 ft) wide and penetrates 200 metres (660 ft). The cave contains salt deposits and it is frequented by wild elephants that lick the salt exposed by gouging the walls with their tusks.[11] Richard Preston's book The Hot Zone (1994) described the cave's association with the Marburg virus after two people who had visited it (one in 1980 and another in 1987) contracted the disease and died.[12]
The mountain soils are red laterite. The mountain is the catchment area for the several rivers such as the Suam River, which becomes the Turkwel downstream and drains into Lake Turkana, and the Nzoia River and the Lwakhakha River, which flow to Lake Victoria. The town of Kitale is in the foothills of the mountain. The area around the mountain is protected by two Mount Elgon National Parks, one on each side of the international border.
FaunaEdit
A population of African bush elephants is present around the mountain that ventures deep into caves to access salt licks. This population was formerly present around all the mountain, but has since been reduced to the Kenyan side, where they venture into Kitum Cave.[13]
An endemic subspecies of the bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus heterochrous) is restricted to the mountain. The possibly extinctDu Toit's torrent frog (Arthroleptides dutoiti), considered an EDGE species due to its evolutionary distinctiveness, is known only from a single specimen collected on the Kenyan side of the mountain.[15]
FloraEdit
Some rare plants are found on the mountain, including Ardisiandra wettsteinii, Carduus afromontanus, Echinops hoehnelii, Ranunculus keniensis, and Romulea keniensis.[16]
Local ethnicitiesEdit
Mount Elgon and its tributaries are home to five tribes: the Babukusu, the Bagisu, the Sapinjek, the Sabaot, and the Ogiek, better known in the region under the derogatory umbrella term Ndorobo.[17]
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This article is about the shield volcano For the historical administrative district see Mount Elgon District Mountain Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya 4 north of Kisumu and west of Kitale The mountain s highest point named Wagagai is located entirely within Uganda 1 5 Although there is no verifiable evidence of its earliest volcanic activity geologists estimate that Mount Elgon is at least 24 million years old making it the oldest extinct volcano in East Africa 6 The mountain s name originates from its Maasai name Elgonyi 7 Mountain ElgonWagagai summit Mount Elgon left and Great Rift Valley right Highest pointElevation4 321 m 14 177 ft 1 Ranked 17th in AfricaProminence2 458 m 8 064 ft 1 Isolation339 km 211 mi 2 ListingUltraCoordinates01 07 06 N 34 31 30 E 1 11833 N 34 52500 E 1 11833 34 52500 1 GeographyMountain ElgonUgandaShow map of UgandaMountain ElgonMountain Elgon Kenya Show map of KenyaMountain ElgonMountain Elgon Africa Show map of AfricaTopo mapMount Elgon Map and Guide 3 GeologyAge of rockMiocene originMountain typeShield volcanoLast eruptionUnknownClimbingFirst ascent1911 by Kmunke and StiglerEasiest routeScramble Contents 1 Physical features 2 Fauna 3 Flora 4 Local ethnicities 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksPhysical features Edit nbsp Mount Elgon left center is located on the Uganda Kenya border in Western Province north of Kakamega west of Kitale Mount Elgon is a massive solitary volcanic mountain on the border of eastern Uganda and western Kenya Its vast form 80 kilometres 50 mi in diameter rises 3 070 metres 10 070 ft above the surrounding plains Its cooler heights offer respite for humans from the hot plains below and its higher altitudes provide a refuge for flora and fauna Mt Elgon consists of five major peaks Wagagai 4 321 metres 14 177 ft in Uganda Sudek 4 302 metres 14 114 ft on the Kenya Uganda border Koitobos 4 222 metres 13 852 ft a flat topped basalt column in Kenya Mubiyi 4 211 metres 13 816 ft in Uganda Masaba 4 161 metres 13 652 ft in UgandaOther features of note are The caldera Elgon s is one of the largest intact calderas in the world 8 The warm springs by the Suam River 9 Endebess Bluff 2 563 metres 8 409 ft 10 Ngwarisha Makingeny Chepnyalil and Kitum caves Kitum Cave is over 60 metres 200 ft wide and penetrates 200 metres 660 ft The cave contains salt deposits and it is frequented by wild elephants that lick the salt exposed by gouging the walls with their tusks 11 Richard Preston s book The Hot Zone 1994 described the cave s association with the Marburg virus after two people who had visited it one in 1980 and another in 1987 contracted the disease and died 12 The mountain soils are red laterite The mountain is the catchment area for the several rivers such as the Suam River which becomes the Turkwel downstream and drains into Lake Turkana and the Nzoia River and the Lwakhakha River which flow to Lake Victoria The town of Kitale is in the foothills of the mountain The area around the mountain is protected by two Mount Elgon National Parks one on each side of the international border Fauna EditA population of African bush elephants is present around the mountain that ventures deep into caves to access salt licks This population was formerly present around all the mountain but has since been reduced to the Kenyan side where they venture into Kitum Cave 13 There are several disjunct populations of mammal species that are restricted to Mount Elgon including the Elgon shrew Crocidura elgonius Rudd s mole rat Tachyoryctes ruddi and Thomas s pygmy mouse Mus sorella There are also several disjunct populations of rare bird species including Sharpe s longclaw Macronyx sharpei Hunter s cisticola Cisticola hunteri Jackson s spurfowl Pternistis jacksoni and the Elgon francolin Scleroptila elgonensis 14 An endemic subspecies of the bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus heterochrous is restricted to the mountain The possibly extinct Du Toit s torrent frog Arthroleptides dutoiti considered an EDGE species due to its evolutionary distinctiveness is known only from a single specimen collected on the Kenyan side of the mountain 15 Flora EditSome rare plants are found on the mountain including Ardisiandra wettsteinii Carduus afromontanus Echinops hoehnelii Ranunculus keniensis and Romulea keniensis 16 Local ethnicities EditMount Elgon and its tributaries are home to five tribes the Babukusu the Bagisu the Sapinjek the Sabaot and the Ogiek better known in the region under the derogatory umbrella term Ndorobo 17 See also EditList of Ultras of Africa 2010 Ugandan landslide List of volcanoes in Kenya Elgon languages Mount Elgon insurgency Breast shaped hills Kakapel RockshelterReferences Edit a b c d Africa Ultra Prominences Peaklist org Retrieved 2012 01 11 1 peakbagger com retrieved 19 March 2017 Mount Elgon Map and Guide Map 1st ed 1 50 000 with mountaineering information EWP 1989 ISBN 0 906227 46 1 Uganda Wildlife Authority www uwa or ug Archived from the original on 2007 12 24 Retrieved 2008 03 16 Mount Elgon Uganda Peakbagger com Retrieved 11 January 2012 NASA 28 August 2005 SRTM Africa Images NASA Retrieved 24 October 2015 Mount Elgon volcano Africa Britannica www britannica com Retrieved 2022 09 01 Mount Elgon Earth Resources Observation and Science EROS Center eros usgs gov Retrieved 2020 05 30 techadmin Kenya Hikes Archives Page 2 of 2 Dickson s Mountains Expeditions Retrieved 2020 05 30 What you need to know about Mt Elgon Park in Uganda Retrieved 2020 05 30 Underground Elephants Resurface Wild Kingdom Animal Planet Animal discovery com 2012 05 15 Retrieved 2018 08 10 Preston Richard The Hot Zone The Terrifying True Life Thriller Bantam Books 1994 The Elephants mountelgonfoundation org uk Retrieved 2022 09 01 BirdLife Data Zone datazone birdlife org Retrieved 2022 09 01 Species EDGE of Existence Retrieved 2022 09 01 SiteBuilder www tour uganda com Scott Penny 1998 From Conflict to Collaboration People and Forests at Mount Elgon Uganda IUCN ISBN 2 8317 0385 9 External links Edit nbsp Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Elgon Kenya Wildlife Service Mount Elgon National Park permanent dead link Mt Elgon Caves Mount Elgon National Park Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mount Elgon amp oldid 1177144196, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
