Africa since 1982

Contents

Resources

Watamu Lamu Tzavo East National Park Tzavo West National Park Amboseli Taita hills Masai Mara Samburu Nairobi Malindi Mombasa Kilifi Magadi Naivasha Nakuru Baringo Bogoria Turkana Lake Manyara Ngorongoro Crater Tarangire Serengeti National Park Lake Natron Zanzibar Lake Tanganika Lake Victoria Mount Kilimangjaro Ruhaa Selous Arusha Dar Es Salaam

Lake Natron

... alkalinity, which forms a pinkish-white crust of soda crystals across much of its surface in the dry season, cracked into a polygonal patchwork. The lake itself is quite shallow, less than three meters deep, and varies in width depending on its water level. The colour is characteristic of those where very high evaporation rates occur: as water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels increase to the point that salt-loving microorganisms begin to thrive such as cyanobacteria. Because its caustic environment is a barrier against predators trying to reach their nests, the lake is the only breeding area for the 2.5 million endangered Lesser Flamingoes that live in the valley. Even more amazing than the ability of the flamingoes to live in these conditions is the fact that an endemic species of fish, the alkaline tilapia thrives in the waters at the edges of the hot spring inlets.
Not far from the lake rises the imperious Ol Doinyo Lengai (2886 meters), “The Mountain of God” in Maasai language, unique among active volcanoes in that it produces natrocarbonatite lava, a highly fluid lava that contains almost no silicon. Natrocarbonatite lava is also much cooler than others and the most fluid lava in the world. The recorded number of eruptions dates back to 1883, and flows were also recorded between 1904 and 1910 and again between 1913 and 1915. Volcanic activity in the mountain caused daily earth tremors in Kenya and Tanzania beginning on July 12, 2007 and the volcano finally erupted on September 4, 2007, sending a plume of ash and steam at least 18 kilometers downwind and covering the north and west flanks in fresh lava flows.


©2009 www.tanzaniandkenya.com tutti i diritti riservati
Progettazione e sviluppo by Simba Project