Kilimanjaro has lost 85 percent of the snow and ice that makes up the mountaintop glaciers and could be completely bare in 15 years.
Scientists believe global warming rather than local weather changes is chiefly to blame for the rapid loss of ice from the Tanzanian peak.
A study comparing new measurements with those taken in 2000 show that a layer of Kilimanjaro ice between six and 17 feet thick has vanished since then.
Not only are the mountain’s glaciers retreating at an unprecedented rate, but the remaining ice is thinning.
Scientists made their forecast after combining data from aerial photographs and ground measurements of ice thickness.
The team, led by Professor Lonnie Thompson, from Ohio State University in the US, pointed out that the snows had survived intact for 11,700 years.
Source: Sky News
photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar
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Mount Kilimanjaro looks so beautiful with its glaciers on top. The mountain will never be the same again without the ice…
To solve the global warming problem, it must be stormed at the national and international levels.But the total success is built upon the action of every individual, regardless of nationality, to conserve energy and live in a greener, cleaner community.
Adam – My opinion is ice retreat has been due to deforestation and less snow. Certainly not global warming. Temperatures at Kilimanjaro have been cooling steadily the last 30 years.
Yes, but Kilimanjaro has lost 75 percent of its ice cap in the the last 40 years. The mountain has had a firm ice cap for thousands of years. Its easy to say that its been cooling for the last 30 years, but you can not argue with the fact that its lost its hat.
Also, call it deforestation, but deforestation contributes to global warming. Slit the hairs doesnt solve the problem of baldness.
My apologies – I forgot to paste a graph showing decreasing temps: http://icecap.us/images/uploads/KILITEMPS.jpg
Where is the link to the substantiation of this graph? Did you make this? Your graph does nothing. Climb the mountain my friend. Tell me what you find at the top.