What Type of Volcano Is Mt. Kilimanjaro?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 09, 2023

Mt. Kilimanjaro is a stratovolcano. A stratovolcano, also called a composite volcano, is tall and steep and has many layers of lava, tephra (what falls back through the air after an eruption) and ash. This is one of the most typical volcanoes.

Located in Tanzania on the continent of Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro stretches 19,335.6 feet high. It is the largest volcano in Africa and one of the largest in the world. As of May 2014, the volcano is dormant, but as a stratovolcano it is prone to periodic explosive eruptions. Three separate cones make up Mt. Kilimanjaro: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. The latter two are extinct, but Kibo is not, making eruption still possible.