Mlima Kenya

Mlima Kenya (Kikuyu: Kĩrĩnyaga; Kiembu: Kirenia; Kimaasai: Ol Donyo Keri; Kimeru: Kirimara) ndio mrefu zaidi nchini Kenya. Mlima huu una urefu wa mita 5,199. Mlima huu unatokana na volkeno zimwe ikikadiriwa ya kwamba mlipuko wake wa mwisho ulitokea mnamo miaka milioni 2.6 hadi 3.1 iliyopita.

Vilele vyake vya juu vinaitwa Batian (m 5,199), Nelion (m 5,188) na Lenana (m 4,985). Kuna barafuto nane mlimani lakini zinapungua kila mwaka kutokana na kupanda kwa halijoto duniani na kupungua kwa usimbishaji kwa sababu ya kukatwa kwa miti mingi^[1][2][3].

Mlima Kenya ni volkeno rusu iliyoumbwa takriban miaka milioni 3 baada ya kuumbika wa Bonde la Ufa.^[4] Umekuwa na theluji kwa maelfu ya miaka. Theluji hiyo hufanya kuwe na mmomonyoko unaosababishwa na barafuto na kutengeneza mabonde^[5]. Barafuto zimepungua kutoka 18 hadi 10^[3]. Mlima huu ni chanzo muhimu cha maji kwa Kenya.^[6]

Habari kuhusu mlima zilifikishwa Ulaya mwaka 1849 na Ludwig Krapf,^[7] lakini jamii ya wanasayansi walibaki na wasiwasi kuhusu ripoti kuwa kulikuwa na theluji karibu na ikweta.^[8] Uwepo wa Mlima Kenya ulithibitishwa mwaka 1883 na 1887^[9]. Ulipandwa na timu iliyoongozwa na Halford John Mackinder, mwaka 1899^[10]. Leo Mlima Kenya hupandwa na watalii na wanaopenda kupanda milima na miamba.^[11]

Mfumo wa ekolojia wa Mlima Kenya una aina tofauti za mimea na wanyama.^[12] Mteremko hufunikwa na aina tofauti ya misitu. Spishi asilia ni kama vile mianzi, tai na pimbi.^[13] Kwa sababu hii, eneo la km² 715 linalozunguka mlima ni Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Mlima Kenya ^[14] na liliorodheshwa na UNESCO kama urithi wa dunia mwaka 1997.^[15] Hifadhi (pori) hupokea wageni zaidi ya 15,000 kwa mwaka.^[6]

1. ↑ "The vanishing snow of Mount Kenya", Daily Nation (kwa Kiingereza), iliwekwa mnamo 2018-09-13
2. ↑ "The vanishing  glaciers of Mount Kenya", The East African (kwa Kiingereza), iliwekwa mnamo 2018-09-13 {{citation}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 15 (help)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Dying gods: Mt Kenya's disappearing glaciers spread violence below", Climate Home News (kwa Kiingereza (Uingereza)), 2017-08-02, iliwekwa mnamo 2018-09-13
4. ↑ Philippe Nonnotte. "Étude volcano-tectonique de la zone de divergence Nord-Tanzanienne (terminaison sud du rift kenyan) - Caractérisation pétrologique et géochimique du volcanisme récent (8 Ma – Actuel) et du manteau source - Contraintes de mise en place thèse de doctorat de l'université de Bretagne occidentale, spécialité : géosciences marines" (PDF).
5. ↑ Gregory, J. W. (1894-02-01). "Contributions to the Geology of British East Africa.—Part I. The Glacial Geology of Mount Kenya". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society (kwa Kiingereza). 50 (1–4): 515–530. doi:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1894.050.01-04.36. ISSN 0370-291X.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Hitilafu ya kutaja: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named development
7. ↑ Hitilafu ya kutaja: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named dutton
8. ↑ Gregory, J. W. (John Walter) (1896). The Great Rift Valley : being the narrative of a journey to Mount Kenya and Lake Baringo : with some account of the geology, natural history, anthropology and future prospects of British East Africa. Smithsonian Libraries. London : J. Murray.
9. ↑ Höhnel, Ludwig; Teleki, Samuel; Bell, Nancy R. E. Meugens (1894). Discovery of lakes Rudolf and Stefanie; a narrative of Count Samuel Teleki's exploring & hunting expedition in eastern equatorial Africa in 1887 & 1888. Smithsonian Libraries. London, Longmans, Green and Co.
10. ↑ Mackinder, H. J. (1900). "A Journey to the Summit of Mount Kenya, British East Africa". The Geographical Journal. 15 (5): 453–476. doi:10.2307/1774261.
11. ↑ EWP (2007). Mount Kenya Map and Guide [map], 4th edition, 1:50,000 with 1:25,000 inset, EWP Map Guides. Cartography by EWP. ISBN 9780906227961.
12. ↑ D., Resnick, Michael (1998). Kirinyaga : a fable of Utopia (toleo la 1st ed). New York: Ballantine Pub. Group. ISBN 0345417011. OCLC 37843815. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
13. ↑ Hitilafu ya kutaja: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ecology
14. ↑ "World Heritage Nomination - IUCN Technical Evaluation Mount Kenya (Kenya)" (PDF).
15. ↑ United Nations (2008). "Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest". Ilihifadhiwa kwenye nyaraka kutoka chanzo mnamo 2006-12-30. Iliwekwa mnamo 2008-02-23.