Elmenteita Badlands
The Elmenteita Badlands , also called Otutu Forest or Ututu Forest , are a lava river in Kenya that covers an area of about 36 km². The latter name results from the formerly dense forest with a dry forest of juniper species ("cedar trees") and Leleshwa shrubs ( Tarchonanthus camphoratus ).
The land belongs to Njenga Karume , who bought it from Arthur Cole in 1980 . The latter, in turn, had bought it from Digby Tatham-Warter in 1968 as poor quality pastureland . Because of its thick bush overgrown lava blocks, the country is not well suited for growing plants or for keeping livestock.
geography
The landscape lies on the Kenyan part of the East African rift valley and is essentially congruent with the volcano of the same name, from which numerous ash cones from the Holocene can be seen. The highest of them is 2126 m high. The area lies between Lake Elmenteita and the Ol Doinyo Eburru volcano on the southern border of the Soysambu reserve . the larger peaks include the "Horseshoe Crater" and the "Scout Hat Hill". There are several lava tunnels showing signs of prehistoric settlement. During rudimentary excavations by locals, millstones and stone bowls have been found. The caves were used as shelter by refugees during the riots on the occasion of the 2008 elections.
Geologically, the volcano is located at the southern end of the Nakuru-Elmenteita Basin, which is bounded in the north by the 2278 m high Menengai Caldera and in the south by the volcano Mount Eburru . In the deepest part of the depression are Lake Nakuru (1770 m) and Lake Elmenteita (1786 m).
The last eruptions of the Lemulug Cone took place between 10,390 and 12,579 years ago, and of the Katerit Cone 9,650 to 11,806 years ago. No earthquake activity or eruptions can be observed today.
colonization
Since the 1980s, the area has been badly damaged as a refugee retreat. To the usual acquisition branches include the destruction of the remaining forest by charcoal burning , poaching and illicit distillation of the popular in Kenya Changaa . At the northeast end of the area is a "Soko Mjinga" ("fool's market") called trading center for these products.
The living conditions in Otutu Forest have the outbreak of leishmaniasis performed by the numerous existing sand flies and hyrax are days. The only sources of water for many residents are a few small fumaroles along the former railway line on the eastern border of the area, which has been converted into a road. The railway line ran between Elmenteita and Gilgil until 1945 , but was then relocated. The former Eburru train station on the border of the area is known for the manufacture of steam condensers from oil barrels and corrugated iron, which the residents use to extract water from the fumaroles.
A tourist luxury lodge, named Mawe Mbili after a rock formation , is located on the slope of "Scout Hat Hill". The water is collected from precipitation with plastic sheeting and is also extracted from a deep well that supplies alkaline water at over 50 ° C with a pH value of almost 8.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Elmenteita Badlands on the Global Volcanism Program website , Smithsonian Institution , accessed September 8, 2008, (English)
- ↑ a b Elmenteita Badlands Volcano - John Seach on Volcano Live , accessed August 15, 2016, (English)
Coordinates: 0 ° 31 ′ 0 ″ S , 36 ° 16 ′ 0 ″ E