The idea of glaciers existing in Africa often seems contradictory, yet permanent ice masses persist on a few high peaks near the equator. A glacier is a large body of ice that forms on land and moves slowly due to gravity. A valley glacier is specifically a stream of ice that flows down a steep mountain valley, confined by the valley walls like a frozen river.
Identifying Africa’s Glacial Peaks
Permanent ice in Africa is limited to the highest elevations of East Africa on three distinct mountain systems. The most well-known is Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa’s highest peak, which retains the continent’s largest remaining ice mass. Another glaciated mountain is Mount Kenya, the second-highest peak, situated in the central highlands of Kenya. The third location is the Rwenzori Mountains, which straddle the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Defining the Glacial Types and Status
Historically, valley glaciers were found in the Rwenzori Mountains and on Mount Kenya. The Rwenzoris once held numerous small glaciers that flowed down the valleys of peaks like Mount Stanley. Mount Kenya also historically included true valley glaciers, such as the Lewis Glacier, which flowed down the steep slopes. Today, the ice in both locations is severely diminished and fragmented; Mount Kenya’s glaciers have lost over 95% of their area since 1900.
In contrast, the ice on Mount Kilimanjaro is primarily a remnant ice cap or plateau glacier, not a classic valley glacier. This ice mass sits relatively flat on the Kibo summit plateau, forming the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Ice Fields. These fields are too thin and the plateau too flat for the ice to deform and flow significantly.
The High-Altitude Climate Mechanism
The existence of glaciers so close to the equator is possible only because of the relationship between altitude and temperature, known as the environmental lapse rate. As altitude increases, the air temperature drops consistently, averaging about 6.5 degrees Celsius for every 1,000 meters of elevation gain. The three glaciated mountains all soar to elevations well above 4,500 meters, which is the approximate altitude required for the permanent snowline, or the zero-degree isotherm, to be sustained near the equator. The Rwenzori Mountains, however, receive heavier precipitation, allowing ice to survive at a marginally lower altitude than on Kilimanjaro.
The Rapid Rate of Retreat
Africa’s remaining ice masses are disappearing at a rapid pace, driven by rising atmospheric temperatures and changes in local moisture patterns. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the total glacier area across all three mountain systems has shrunk by approximately 90%. Mount Kenya’s glaciers are projected to be completely gone by 2030. The ice fields on Mount Kilimanjaro are expected to vanish by the 2040s or 2060s, having lost over 80% of their area since 1912. Even the remnant ice on Mount Stanley in the Rwenzoris is rapidly fragmenting, losing nearly 30% of its surface area between 2020 and 2024 alone.