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Why is Mount Kenya’s summit so rocky and jagged?
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East African mountains
Mountains and lakes of East Africa.
Mount Kenya’s summit is characterized by its rocky and jagged appearance primarily because it is a long-extinct volcano that has undergone significant erosion over time. The mountain's highest peaks, such as Batian and Nelion, are composed of hard, crystalline nepheline syenite that once plugged the volcano's central vent.1
While the remaining glaciers on the mountain today have little erosive force, the jagged landscape is a legacy of much more powerful, ancient glaciation. In the past, glaciers extended much further down the mountain's slopes, carving out sharp-edged ridges known as arêtes, as well as cirques and deep valleys that shaped the rugged, pyramidal peaks seen today.2