14 DAY TRIAL // This March 20, 2009 image of Africa's tallest mountain depicts the landscape around Kilimanjaro in exquisite details, and in false-color. The photograph is currently archived with the European Space Agency, and was selected as the picture of the day for today, January 24.
The image was captured from aboard the 4-ton Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS), which is also known as the Daichi spacecraft. The mission, commissioned and built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), was launched to study our planet back in 2006.
This particular false-color photo centers on parts of southern Kenya and the Tanzanian border, and features Kilimanjaro to the lower left side. This mountain is 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) tall, and is the tallest free-standing mountain on Earth. The iconic ices on its summits are extremely important for rivers and farmlands below.
Over the past few years, global warming and deforestation have led to a significant decrease in the amount of water available during the thawing season. Many rivers in the catchment area have gone dry, and locals are currently trying to find ways of addressing these issues.