Marrah Mountains

The Marrah Mountains are in Sudan.

They are the highest mountains in that land. These mountains were made by old volcanoes.

At the top, there is a big crater. This crater has two lakes inside it.

One lake is large and the other is small.

The top of the mountains is cool and wet. This brings rain and water to the area.

Below, the land is dry and flat.

Many people visit to study the rocks and plants. It is a very special place in Africa. Do you want to see the mountains?

The Marrah Mountains are in the center of Sudan.

They sit in the Darfur region. These mountains are the highest in the country. They were made by old volcanoes. Most of the land nearby is flat and dry. This area is called the Sahel.

The mountains rise high above the flat plains. The top of the range is cool and wet. It gets a lot of rain. This rain feeds many springs and streams.

At the top, there is a large crater. We call this a caldera.

This crater has two lakes inside it. One lake is large. Its water is salty and looks murky green. The other lake is smaller. Its water is fresher. The walls of the crater are very steep. Scientists visit the mountains to study the rocks and plants. They also study the water. Some parts of the mountains can be unstable. In 2025, heavy rain caused a landslide. This moved earth and rocks down the mountain. It was a very sad event for the local people.

The Marrah Mountains are a huge group of volcanic peaks in Sudan.

They sit in the middle of the Darfur region. The range is located on the border of South Darfur and Central Darfur. A small part of the mountains also reaches into North Darfur. These mountains are the highest in all of Sudan. Most of the land around them is the Sahel. The Sahel is a very flat area with dry savanna and scrub.

The Marrah Mountains are special because they rise high above these flat plains. The top of the mountains has a much cooler and wetter climate. This area gets a lot of rain and has permanent springs of water.

The mountains were formed by volcanic activity a long time ago. The center of this activity was the Deriba Caldera. A caldera is a large crater formed when a volcano collapses. This happened after eruptions of pumice and flows of hot material. The last eruption happened around 1500 BC. Today, the volcano is considered extinct. The Deriba Caldera has a diameter of over 10 kilometers.

Inside this crater, there are two different lakes. The larger lake is in the northeast corner of the crater. It is salty and has murky green water. The smaller lake is in the south. It has fresher water and sits in a shape like a funnel.

Scientists have visited these mountains for a long time to study them. Two men named Hobbs and Gillan first explored the area in 1918. Since then, many geologists and botanists have come to see the rocks and plants. In 1964, a group went on a five-week trip to study the water. They used a small rubber boat and a special tool to measure how deep the lakes were. They found that the large lake is quite shallow. They also saw that the water levels in the lakes change over time. Some changes might be caused by landslides on the steep walls of the crater.

The geology of the area is very interesting to study. The mountains are a volcanic massif that stretches about 150 kilometers from north to south. The range is about 50 kilometers wide in some places. Near the mountains, there are other volcanic areas like the Tagabo Hills. Much of the surrounding land is made of very old rocks. Some areas have thick layers of sand and clay. In the east, you can find rocks called schists and gneisses. There are also many rivers that flow away from the mountains. These rivers often have beds made of sand or silt.

Life in the Marrah Mountains can be difficult due to the weather and politics. The mountains have been used as a stronghold by the Sudan Liberation Movement. The area has also seen much political conflict. Nature can also be dangerous in this region. In August 2025, the mountains saw very heavy rainfall. This rain caused a large landslide that hit the village of Tarasin. Sadly, more than 1,000 people lost their lives in that event. The mountains remain a place of great natural wonder and also great challenge.

The Marrah Mountains are a massive volcanic massif located in Sudan.

This range is the highest in the country. It sits in the center of the Darfur region. The mountains mark the border between South Darfur and Central Darfur. A small portion of the range also extends into North Darfur. Most of the surrounding land is part of the Sahel. The Sahel is a wide, flat area of dry savanna and scrub. The Marrah Mountains rise high above these plains, creating a unique environment.

The mountains formed through complex volcanic processes. The center of this activity was the Deriba Caldera. This large crater formed when the volcano collapsed. Such a collapse often follows the eruption of pumice and pyroclastic flows. These flows are fast-moving currents of hot gas and volcanic matter. The last eruption in this area occurred around 1500 BC. Today, the volcano is considered extinct. The Deriba Caldera has a diameter of over 10 kilometers. Lava peaks surround the crater, and one may be the highest point in the range.

Inside the Deriba Caldera, there are two distinct lakes. The larger lake sits in the northeast corner of the crater. It has a high salinity, which means the water is very salty. Its water appears murky green and has an unpleasant odor. The smaller lake is located to the south. This lake has fresher water and sits in a shape like a conical funnel. The crater walls rise nearly vertically from the water's edge. These walls reach heights of about 244 to 610 meters above the surrounding area.

Scientists have studied this area since the early 20th century. Hobbs and Gillan conducted the first exploration in 1918. Since then, geologists, botanists, and zoologists have visited the range. In 1964, a five-week expedition performed a biological survey. The team studied the streams and the two Deriba lakes. They used an inflatable rubber dinghy and a calibrated echo sounder. This tool helped them conduct a bathymetric survey to measure water depth. They discovered that the large lake is quite shallow. The study also showed that water levels change due to sediment and landslides.

The geology of the region is quite diverse. The Marrah Mountains extend about 150 kilometers from north to south. In some places, the range widens to 50 kilometers. To the northeast, the Tagabo Hills and Meidob Plateau are also volcanic. Much of the surrounding area consists of very old Archean rocks. These rocks sit beneath layers of sand and clay. In the east and north of Zalingei, the land is dominated by acid crystalline schists and gneisses. Other areas contain quartzose rocks or Nubian sandstones. This variety makes the region a complex geological site.

Human history in the mountains is shaped by both nature and politics. The mountains have served as a stronghold for the Sudan Liberation Movement. This group has used the area for several bases. The region has also experienced significant political conflict. Nature can also bring sudden danger to the people living there. On August 31, 2025, the area experienced very heavy rainfall. This intense rain triggered a large landslide. The landslide destroyed the village of Tarasin. This tragic event resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people.

The Marrah Mountains connect many different environmental systems. The upper reaches have a temperate climate with high rainfall. This creates permanent springs of water. These springs contrast sharply with the dry Sahel below. The rivers, such as the Wadi 'Azum, carry runoff away from the mountains. These rivers flow eastward and southeastward. Their beds change from sand to silt within 10 kilometers of their sources. The mountains act as a vital water source in a largely dry part of Africa.