| Mount Karthala | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mount Karthala aerial view. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,361 m (7,746 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 2,361 m (7,746 ft)[1] |
| Listing | Ultra Country high point |
| Coordinates | 11°45′37″S43°21′11″E / 11.76028°S 43.35306°E /-11.76028; 43.35306[2] |
| Geography | |
  Mount Karthala | |
| Country | Comoros |
| Island | Grande Comore |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Shield volcano (active) |
| Last eruption | January 2007 |
| Official name | Le Karthala |
| Designated | 12 November 2006 |
| Reference no. | 1649[3] |
Mount Karthala orKarthola (Arabic:القرطالةAl Qirṭālah) is an activevolcano and the highest point of theComoros at 2,361 m (7,746 ft) above sea level. It is the southernmost and larger of the twoshield volcanoes formingGrande Comore island, the largestisland in the nation of Comoros. The Karthala volcano is very active, having erupted more than 20 times since the 19th century. Frequent eruptions have shaped the volcano's 3 km by 4 km summitcaldera, but the island has largely escaped broad destruction. Eruptions on April 17, 2005 and May 29, 2006 ended a period of quiet.
The eruption, which carried a risk oflava flows and deadlyvolcanic gas, caused the evacuation of 2,000 residents, which led to the death of an infant.[4] The crater was clearly changed by the eruption. A grey field of ash surrounds the crater and thecaldera itself seems larger and deeper. Thecrater lake, which formed after Karthala's last eruption in 1991 and once dominated the caldera, is now gone completely. In its place were rough, dark grey rocks, possibly cooling lava or rubble from the collapsed crater.
On May 29,Reuters reported that residents ofMoroni could see lava spewing at the top of the volcano.[5] Within a few days the volcanic activity subsided.
The mountain is covered by intact moist evergreen forest from 1200 metres to about 1800 metres above sea-level. Higher up the vegetation consists of stunted trees andheathland where the giant heatherErica comorensis grows.[6] The mountain's forest is threatened bylogging and the spread of agriculture. Many of the species found on the mountain are unique to the Comoros and fourbird species are found only on the slopes of Mount Karthala:Grand Comoro drongo,Humblot's flycatcher,Karthala scops owl, andKarthala white-eye.
A 14,228 ha (35,160-acre) tract encompassing the upper slopes and summit of the mountain has been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International, because it supports populations ofComoros blue pigeons,Comoros fodies,Comoros olive pigeons,Comoros thrushes,Grand Comoro brush warblers,Grand Comoro bulbuls, Grand Comoro drongos, Humblot's flycatchers,Humblot's sunbirds, Karthala scops owls, Karthala white-eyes, andMalagasy harriers.[7]
| Karthala National Park | |
|---|---|
| Parc National du Karthala | |
 Interactive map of Karthala National Park | |
| Coordinates | 11°46′S43°21′E / 11.767°S 43.350°E /-11.767; 43.350 |
| Area | 26,214 ha (101.21 sq mi) |
| Designation | National park |
| Designated | 2010 |
| Administrator | Comoros National Parks Authority |
| Designated | 12 November 2006 |
| Reference no. | 1649[8] |
Karthala National Park protects an area of 262.14 km2 on the mountain. It was designated in 2010.[9]