Mountain Glaciers in the Mediterranean Area and in Africa.

Abstract

Few glaciers or glaciers still exist in the Mediterranean area. The snow line between the Alps and the mountains of North Africa and the Near East must be reconstructed with the help of climatic data. The only glaciers in Africa are on Mt Kenya (covering an area of 0.8 km2), on Kilimanjaro (5 km2) and in the Ruwenzori (5 km2). The median glacier elevation increases from the Ruwenzori (4680 m) to Mt Kenya (4790 m) and to Kilimanjaro (5430 m). A retreat of the ice limits since the last century, or during the present one, can be reconstructed for the glaciers of the Mediterranean area and of East Africa.