Menengai

{{Short description|Shield volcano in Kenya}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Menengai

| photo = Menengai crater view from the edge.jpg

| photo_caption = Menengai Crater - view from the edge

| elevation_m = 2,278

| elevation_ref =

| prominence =

| location = Kenya

| range =

| map = Kenya

| map_caption = Location in Kenya

| label_position = bottom

| coordinates = {{coord|0.20|S|36.07|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| topo =

| type = Shield volcano

| age =

| last_eruption = 6050 BCE (?)

| first_ascent =

| easiest_route = via taking the north east route for bus

}}

Menengai Crater is a massive shield volcano with one of the biggest calderas in the world, in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya. It is the largest volcano caldera in Kenya and the second largest volcano caldera in Africa.{{cite web|title=Menengai Crater|url=http://kembu.com/index.php/excursions/menengai-crater|access-date=28 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222093657/http://www.kembu.com/index.php/excursions/menengai-crater|archive-date=22 February 2015|url-status=dead}} Volcanic formed rich loam soils enrich the adjacent farmland around its flanks.

The crater is on the floor of the Rift Valley. The volcano formed about 200,000 years ago and the prominent 12 x 8 km caldera formed about 8000 years ago. The caldera floor is covered with numerous post caldera lava flows.

The Menengai volcano is considered one of the best-preserved Krakatau-style calderas in the world.{{cite web|last1=Seach|first1=John|title=Menengai Volcano - John Seach|url=http://www.volcanolive.com/menengai.html|website=www.volcanolive.com|access-date=28 February 2015}}

Menengai has very little sediment in the caldera which is a thick mass of lava boulders and inaccessible ridges.

{{cite web|title=Menengai Crater|url=http://kembu.com/index.php/excursions/menengai-crater|access-date=28 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222093657/http://www.kembu.com/index.php/excursions/menengai-crater|archive-date=22 February 2015|url-status=dead}} Volcanic activity continues {{cite web|title=Menengai Crater Kenya / Rift Valley / Nakuru /|url=http://wikimapia.org/1821974/Menengai-Crater|website=wikimapia|publisher=wikimapia|access-date=28 February 2015}} and a current project under the GDC is at an advanced stage towards geothermal power generation.{{cite web|last1=OBWOCHA|first1=BEATRICE|title=Menengai crater to become active again|url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2000027249/menengai-crater-to-become-active-again|access-date=28 February 2015}}

Menengai is {{convert|10|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} north of Nakuru, the fourth-biggest city in Kenya.