Kenya · Shield volcano
Menengai
- Type
- Shield volcano
- Elevation
- 2278m
- Last eruption
- -6050

- Type
- Shield volcano
- Country
- Kenya
- Region
- Eastern Africa / Kenyan Rift Volcanic Province
- Elevation
- 2278m
- Coordinates
- -0.200, 36.070
- Last eruption
- -6050
- Tectonic setting
- Rift zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
- Landform
- Shield
- Major rock type
- Trachyte / Trachydacite
Geological summary
The massive Menengai shield volcano occupies the floor of the East African Rift. Construction of a 30 km3 shield volcano beginning about 200,000 years ago was followed by the eruption of two voluminous ash-flow tuffs, each preceded by major pumice falls.
Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →
From Wikipedia
Menengai Crater is a massive shield volcano with one of the biggest calderas in the world, in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya. It is the largest volcano caldera in Kenya and the second largest volcano caldera in Africa. Volcanic formed rich loam soils enrich the adjacent farmland around its flanks. The crater is on the floor of the Rift Valley. The volcano formed about 200,000 years ago and the prominent 12 x 8 km caldera formed about 8000 years ago. The caldera floor is covered with numerous post caldera lava flows. The Menengai volcano is considered one of the best-preserved Krakatau-style calderas in the world. Menengai has very little sediment in the caldera which is a thick mass of lava boulders and inaccessible ridges. Volcanic activity continues and a current project under the Geothermal Development Company is at an advanced stage towards geothermal power generation.
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Eruption history
2 recordedGlossaryRecord summary
- Confirmed eruptions
- 2
- Uncertain eruptions
- 0
- Span of confirmed record
- 7350 BCE (±500 yrs) – 6050 BCE
- Largest confirmed eruption
- VEI 6 (6050 BCE)
- Confirmed eruptions since 1900
- 0
Detailed timeline
- 6050 BCEVEI 6Geological estimate6050 BCE – end unknown
- 7350 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate7350 BCE – end unknown
Nearby volcanoes
External links
⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.