Glaciers and Glaciology Glacial recession is clearly visible on the two pictures of the southern
icefields that were taken from near the Barranco Hut, the first in 1984, the
second in 1998. The most evident changes have occurred on the Heim Glacier. In
1984 this is seen to have a "dog leg" in it; it reached down lower than any of
the other glaciers in this, the central part of main southern icefields. In
1998 it is seen its upper reaches to have a much bigger gap separating it from
its neighbouring glacier to the right. The bottom section, below the original
dogleg, is totally missing and represents a loss of ice extending about 300m
vertically. More recent photographs show a further reduction in the glaciated
area. At one stage most of the summit of Kilimanjaro was covered by an ice cap,
probably more than 100 metres deep. Glaciers extended well down the mountain
forming moraine ridges, clearly visible now on the southern flanks down to
about 4000m. At present only a small fraction of the glacial cover remains. The remnants of the ice cap can be seen as the spectacular ice cliffs of the
Northern and Eastern Icefields, and the longest glaciers are found on the
precipitous southern and south-western flanks. If the present rate of glacial
recession continues the majority of the glaciers on Kilimanjaro could vanish
altogether in the next 50 years. A recent study carried out on the snows of Xixibangma and Kilimanjaro has
reinforced observations. It is now estimated that Kilimanjaro has lost 85% of
its ice cover (by mass) since 1912.
See also Glacial recession in the Rwenzori.
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