Ground Thermal Profiles from Mount Kenya, East Africa

This paper presents and compares ground thermal regimes at 4200 and 4800 m a.s.l. on Mount Kenya's southern aspect. Temperatures were recorded using Tinytalk? data loggers, installed at the ground surface and at depths of 1 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm and 50 cm. Temperatures were logged at 2‐hour intervals over a period of 12 months (August 1998 to July 1999). The study is designed to demonstrate near‐surface freeze conditions, which would have implications for contemporary periglacial landform production. Although ground freeze at 4200 m a.s.l. occurs during most nights (c. 70% at 1 cm depth), freeze penetration is restricted to the top 2 to 3 cm, such that no freeze was recorded at 5 cm depth. At 4800 m a.s.l., the diurnal frost frequency at the surface is 365 days (100%), whilst that at 10 cm depth is 165 days (45%). The paper demonstrates that a greater longevity of contemporary thin snow cover at 4800 m a.s.l. permits progressive sub‐surface cooling with depth. However, the near‐surface ground temperature profiles suggest that conditions are not conducive to permafrost development at the sites.