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Kilimanjaro Research Paper

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At 5,895 meters, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain. But lately, the glaciers on this towering mountain have been noticeably decreasing. The media has conflicting headlines and theories. Scientists have been studying this problem for many years, the receding glaciers have not been narrowed down to one exact cause. Theories range from climate change to undersurface magma, yet, no one knows how we can limit the melting glaciers. The most popular theory, is how the changing climates is affecting Kilimanjaro's iconic snows. In central Africa, due to climate change the atmosphere is relatively dry. This means that there is very little moisture in the air and there is less and less snow on the mountain. Glaciers are yearlong snow and ice patches, if the glaciers are disappearing, and there is very little snowfall, there will a noticeable change in the amount of snow and ice. Another aspect of climate change, is human caused climate change. Setting the Record …show more content…

Mt. Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano, this could mean that the magma that the volcano is containing, may be heating up slowly. “Though it hasn’t been active for hundreds of years, the molten magma that exists far below its surface may be enough to slowly melt away the glaciers at its peak.” (How Do We Stop Kilimanjaro's Glaciers from Melting?, 2017) This could be a major cause of the disappearing snows. If the magma beneath surface is heating the glaciers, then it could definitely melt enough ice away before the year 2030. Yet, the snow, ice and glaciers on Kilimanjaro are actually evaporating versus melting. This is stated in Setting the Record Straight by Time Ward. “They are evaporating — turning directly from ice to vapor through a process known as sublimation.” When the sun hits the water molecules on the ice and snow, it excites the water molecules. This results in an evaporation alike dry ice when exposed to room

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