In June 2015, a group of 13 University of Glasgow students and 2 lecturers are travelling to Tanzania to study Ol Doinyo Lengai - "the stangest volcano on Earth". We will be working with students and staff from the University of Dodoma to carry out research on the volcanology of Ol Doinyo Lengai and its relationship with the faults of the Gregory rift, in which the volcano sits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ol Doinyo Lengai and the East African Rift System

 

Translating to “Mountain of God” in the local Maasai language, Ol Doinyo Lengai has been dubbed the “strangest volcano on Earth” by National Geographic due to the unique composition of its magma and the importance of it geological setting. Located in the Arusha region of Tanzania, Ol Doinyo Lengai is part of the East African Rift System; an active continental rift zone which stretches 1000’s of kilometres from the Gulf of Aden to Mozambique. It began developing around 25 million years ago at the onset of the Miocene and since then the smaller Somalian Plate has been pulling away from the Nubian (African) Plate at a rate of roughly 6-7mm per year, providing a modern analogue to help us understand how continents break apart. Ol Doinyo Lengai (3188m) sits on the eastern branch of the rift known as the Gregory Rift. It is the only active carbonatite volcano in the world and has the coolest lava, erupting at 500-600°C, resulting in extensive interest from the geological community.

 

University of Glasgow Tanzania Expedition

 

The University of Glasgow Tanzania Expedition will take place in June 2015 and will consist of a team of 13 Glasgow students who will be working alongside a group of students from the University of Dodoma to study the unique Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano. Researchers from the University of Dodoma have previously conducted studies on Ol Doinyo Lengai and this collaboration will provide an opportunity for the two universities to exchange knowledge and establish good relations for future cooperation. The general focus of the research will be to study the volcanology and active faulting in the area.

 

This expedition is run through the University of Glasgow Expedition Society and will be the first of its kind. The connection between Tanzania and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow adds more gravity to the expedition as the Gregory Rift, which Ol Doinyo Lengai sits on, was discovered by, and is named after John Walter Gregory, who held the position of Chair in Geology at the University for 25 years. Due to his dedication to geology at the University of Glasgow the Gregory Building, which houses the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, is named after him.

 

Fundraising

 

We need to raise £15,000 for this expedition to happen and we are well on our way to achieving this target. However, every little helps so please donate using the link below and come to our fundraiser events. Remember, this is pioneering reseach that has benefits to a wide range of people, from the locals to the academic world. Use the links below to find out more about the expedition and to donate.