Volcanoes in Kenya

There are many volcanoes in Kenya these include North Island, Central Island, South Island, Marsabit, The barrier, Namarunu, Segererua Plateau, Emuruangogolak, Silali, Paka, Bagoria, Korosi, Ol Kokwe, Nyambeni hills, Menengai, Homa mountain, Elmanteita badlands, Ol doinyo, Eburru, Olkaria, Longonot, Suswa and the Chyulu hills. But i am only goin to focus on 2 of them being Longonot and Marsabit.



Longonot is a dormant Volcanoe meaning it is sleeping at the moment but could still erupt anytime. Its found in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya in a place called Niavasha about 100km west of Nairobi. Longonot is an early composite volcanoe with a diameter of 30km with a caldera formation with a diameter of 12km, although deposits from the eruption almost filled the caldera. On the Northern side of the volcanoe is a well preserved perasitic cone and recent looking lava. In 2009 more than 4,600 hectares of bushland on Mt Longonot were destroyed due to bush fires, some of the larger animals escaped although many of the little ones were caught by the fire in the crater.

Marsabit volcanoe is found in Northern Kenya, East of Lake Turkana, Its a large sheild volcanoe with 180 conder cones and 22 maars (a low relief volcanic crater, caused by groundwater coming in contact with lava or magma). The Maars are up to 2.5km in Diameter. Marsabit is the only 1 of 4 major sheild volcanoes in Kenya that contains many maars. This is due to the the Chalbi basin which is the main groundwater sink in Kenya.