The landscape of Ngorongoro Conservation Area has
been shaped by volcanic activity caused by the formation of the Gregory
Rift and the Eyasi Rift, the main geological features of the region. During
a process which ran its course over a period of four million years, seven
volcanoes were created by the lava flows. Some of them collapsed into
calderas and established what is now called the Crater Highlands. Only
one of them, Oldonyo Lengai, the Maasai Mountain Of God, just outside
the borders of NCA, is still active.
Energetic visitors can climb the steep slopes to
gain a spectacular view at the top. At times this crater is deep but in
recent years the ash has bubbled over the lower rim leaving trails of
shimmering white which can be seen from the surrounding areas.
Over many millennia, the ash of many erruptions
has been deposited by the prevailing easterly winds to form the fertile
plains of the Serengeti.
