There are also snow-capped mountains on the equator. Can you believe it? The real "ice and fire" in nature!
If someone told you that there were snow-capped mountains on the equator, would you believe it?
Kilimanjaro is located in the northeast of Tanzania, south of the African Rift Valley 160 km, which is the highest mountain range in Africa, with the highest peak "Freedom Peak" reaching 5895 meters above sea level. Kilimanjaro is called "the roof of Africa" and many geographers call it "the king of Africa". Surprisingly, this mountain on the equator is covered with snow all year round, and it is the only snow-capped mountain on the equator on earth.
The most surprising thing about Kilimanjaro is not the snow-capped mountains on the equator, but that it is not only a snow-capped mountain, but also a volcano. Its central volcanic cone Hulu Peak is 5892 meters above sea level, making it the highest volcano in the world. The top of the mountain is covered with ice and snow, while the foot of the mountain is a typical equatorial tropical surface. This snow-capped mountain on the equator is a real "ice and fire", which has to be said to be a miracle of nature.
Kilimanjaro's name comes from the local Swahili language, which means "Mountain of Light". This mountain has always been regarded as a sacred mountain by local people, full of admiration and love. Hemingway, an American writer, wrote a novel Snow of Kilimanjaro, which tells the story of Harry, the hero, and Helen, the heroine, looking for a spiritual home under the sacred Kilimanjaro.
There is another beautiful legend about Kilimanjaro. A long time ago, the inhabitants of Kilimanjaro were persecuted by monsters on the mountain. One day, a god came to this towering mountain, looked down at the top of the mountain and blessed his people. In order to drive away the gods, monsters living in the mountains lit a fire at the foot of Kilimanjaro, and the blazing flame spewed out with boiling magma. God is not easy to mess with. Snow and hail will fill the mountain pass where the fire is raging, and Kilimanjaro will become the "equatorial snow mountain" we see today.
In the past few hundred years, no one really believed that there was such a covered snow mountain near the equator. 1848, a German missionary from Rebmann came to East Africa, stumbled upon the wonders of the "equatorial snow mountain", wrote a travel note and published it in a journal. Europeans first heard of this holy mountain. But not everyone believes the contents of Lieberman's travels. Some people even think that he has ulterior motives. It was not until 186 1 that European explorers came to Africa again, witnessed this snowy mountain near the equator with their own eyes and took photos, and westerners began to believe what Rebmann said.
The scenery of Kilimanjaro is very unique. The environmental span of the whole mountain range is very large, from equatorial climate to polar climate. People can often see several seasons on a mountain. Here, 200 meters below the foot of the mountain is the dry and hot African prairie, 500 meters above is the vast and lush tropical rain forest, and then up is the tundra with gradually decreasing temperature and humidity. Above 5000 meters, it is an alpine glacier covered with snow all year round, and the temperature is below zero degrees Celsius.
A crystal clear world of ice and snow appears near the equator, making Kilimanjaro one of the must-see spots for tourists from all over the world to travel to Africa. Looking from a distance on the hot African prairie, the white mountain top seems to hover in the air, and the huge gap between body and vision adds a wonderful illusion. In addition, visitors can also experience the dream crossing from the tropical rain forest to the ice age, becoming the most peculiar attraction of rock climbing experience.
It is worth mentioning that Kilimanjaro is known as the easiest mountain to climb in the world, and it is the only one of the seven peaks in the world that can be climbed without professional training. The tourism development here is very mature, and there are many mountaineering routes suitable for different groups of people. No matter whether you have mountaineering experience or not, you can return home with a full load.
Maybe everyone will wonder: It's so hot near the equator, why are there snow-capped mountains and even glaciers?
In fact, this is related to the altitude of Kilimanjaro. Although the temperature near the equator is really high, the temperature of the earth's surface depends not only on its position, but also on its height. As we all know, the temperature of the earth depends on the amount of sunlight radiation on the ground. The air at high altitude is relatively thin, and there is relatively little dust, water vapor and other substances in the air that absorb sunlight radiation. The reduction of total carbon dioxide weakens the heat preservation effect of the atmosphere on temperature, and the speed of heat dissipation is also accelerated.
Some scientists' experiments show that the temperature will drop by about 6 degrees Celsius every time the altitude rises 1000 meters. The average temperature in the equatorial region is generally around 28℃. If the altitude of the mountain is higher than 5000 meters, the temperature at the top of the mountain will drop below zero degrees Celsius. Therefore, although Kilimanjaro is located near the equator, even if the climate under it is extremely hot, the top of the mountain will still be covered with snow.
However, with global warming and rising sea level, the snow on the top of the world's only equatorial snow mountain has begun to melt, and glaciers have also shown signs of disappearing. Scientists use GPS to accurately measure the height of Kilimanjaro, and find that the top of Kilimanjaro is only 589 1.77 meters, which is more than 3 meters shorter than in the past. From 19 12 to 2000, the Rebmann glacier on the mountain has lost 80% of its total area. Therefore, some scientists believe that Kilimanjaro Snow Mountain may completely melt and disappear within 10 year, which means that this unique "equatorial snow mountain" spectacle will officially bid farewell to mankind.
Do you want to see this magical "equatorial snow mountain"?