According to Uganda’s Wildlife Authority (UWA), a split has occurred in an ice cap on Uganda’s highest peak as a result of global warming.
The split is on a glacier located in the Rwenzori mountain range, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. It sits at an altitude of 16,736 feet and is blocking access to the Margherita summit, said authorities.
Margherita is Africa’s third highest peak and is a popular spot for climbers. Scientists say the glaciers in the Rwenzori range could disappear in the next 20 years because of global warming. Researchers said the ice cap is less than 0.7 square miles, nearly half the size it was 50 years ago.
A team employed by UWA had been sent to the mountain to evaluate how badly the split has affected passage to the summit.
The Rwenzori mountain range is one of the few regions near the equator to have glaciers. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1994.
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