Earth perspectives, 5/9: The Earth view above the Simien Mountains, Ethiopia

5/9: The Earth view above the Simien Mountains, Ethiopia



At the centre of the Earth view above is the Simien Mountains, in Ethiopia. One of the rare places in Africa where snow falls regularly, this range is part of the Ethiopian Highlands, known as the ‘Roof of Africa’. Its vertiginous heights were formed eons ago by volcanic outpourings and uplift, as well as glacial activity, and they now precipitate a rainy season that has flooded the Nile annually since before the time of the ancient Greeks, who were puzzled by the punctual floods during the Mediterranean dry season. The unique features and climate of the Highlands eventually led to the evolution of a number of endemic wildlife species, including the gelada baboon, whose fur coat is specially adapted to the anomalously cool mountain climate bounded by the hot continent. These layered cycles of rock, climate, weather, and life are a reminder of not just the timelessness of the landscape, but also its timefulness. The mountains are a record of many different timelines, of both the living and non-living – circling, crossing, and defining each other.