SSC MTS EXAM

Detailed explanation-1: -Being on the equator means the trade winds (sometimes called ‘monsoons’) that move across the ocean, drawing moisture upwards are interrupted by the mountain. This causes the wind to push up towards the summit, cooling as it goes, bringing rain and snow.

Detailed explanation-2: -Although Mount Kilimanjaro lies about 330 km south of the equator, it is topped with a lovely layer of snow and glaciers. According to UNESCO reports the mountain has lost 82% of its ice cap since 1912 and 55% of its glaciers since 1962.

Detailed explanation-3: -Kilimanjaro’s glaciers have shrunk by a whopping 82% since the first survey of the summit in 1912. Even since 1989, when there were 3.3 square kilometres, there has been a decline of 33%. At that rate, say the experts, Kili will be completely ice-free within the next decade or two.

Detailed explanation-4: -These scientists believe that the glaciers at the top of Kilimanjaro are a historical relic of the ice age of about 11, 000 years ago and are disappearing because the climate in East Africa is much drier today than it was in the past, which significantly reduces the amount of snow falling at the top of the mountain.