NyiragongoVolcano

G7 | G27 | B7 | B16 | B18 | B20G7 | G27 | B7 | B16 | B18 | B20

Nyirangongo is a steep-sided, active volcano, a stratovolcano with an elevation of 3470 m (

11,382 ft ) in the Virunga Mountains.

Geographic Location

It is located inside the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo about 20 km North of the town of Goma and

Lake Kivu and just west of the border with Rwanda and are apart of East African Rift Valley.

This is an area of many faults where the plates are being stretched as they move away from each other. Nyiragongo

and nearby Nyamuragira are responsible for the 40% of Africa's historical volcanic eruptions.

Type according to Morphology

Nyiragongo volcano is a large basaltic stratovolcano.

The volcano is famous for persistent lava lake activity in its huge summit crater. Such

lakes are currently only observed at few volcanoes, including Erta Ale in Ethiopia,

Ambryn in Vanuatu, and Erebus in the antarctic.

A stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano) is a volcano built up by many layers

of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash.

Throughout history, stratovolcanoes have proven to be the deadliest, most hazardous of

all volcano types.

Hazards Posed

The volcano hit the headlines in 2002, when lava flows from an extensive fissure system on its southern flank

destroyed much of the eastern part of Goma, resulting in about 150 fatalities

and the destruction of thousands of homes. This was the first occasion when

lava flows significantly damaged a major city since the eruption of Etna in 1669. The speed of the flows in 2002

and in a similar fissure eruption in 1977 were exceptionally high, making

Nyiragongo one of few volcanoes where lava flows present an immediate hazard

to human life.

Nowhere else in the world does such a steep-sided stratovolcano contain a lake

of such fluid lava. Nyiragongo's proximity to heavily populated areas increases its potential for causing a

natural disaster.

 Nyiragongo poses many potential hazards other than lava flows, such as Mazukus

(meaning evil winds in Swahili), which are low-lying locations with dry CO2 vents,

volcanic ash, phreatomagmatic eruptions from the high water table, earthquakes, and the possibility of the degassing of Lake Kivu

Hazards Posed

MISPLACED PERSONS - after an eruption some families lose their homes. They live in

camps until they are resettled in another place.

AIR QUALITY - volcanic ashes affects the air this will be bad for persons who suffer

from asthma and other chronic lung conditions.

DRINKING WATER QUALITY - raised flouride levels was found in a

water sample near the lava flow on January 21 by Goma water

company but it fell to normal levels subsequently.

FOOD SUPPLIES - the list with the names of the families was destroyed in the eruption and there was

no back-up record so the giving of food in each family became hard.

POWER SUPPLY - during an eruption power was cut off in

Goma to minimize the risk of fires from high tension lines.

Communication is affected because of this matter.

SANITATION - houses in Goma have latrines dug into the ancient

lava flows from Nyiragongo on which the city is built. Due to the hardness of the rock, the depth of

latrines is generally less than ideal, not more than 1.5-2m. In

the rainy seasons heavy rains can flush waste water from the

latrines into the lake which can cause high risks for diarrhoeal

diseases.

Eruption History

Between 1894 and 1977 the crater contained an active lava lake. On 10 January 1977, the

crater walls fractured, and the lava lake drained in less than an hour. The lava flowed down the flanks of the volcano at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour on the upper slopes, overwhelming villages and killing at least 70

people.

The 1977 eruption was preceded by the creation of a new small volcano, Murara, a

short distance away on the slopes of Nyamuragira.

The eruptions that have occurred in this volcano for the past 200 years are as follows:1884, 1894, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902,

1905, 1906, 1908, 1911, 1918, 1920-21, 1927-77, 1977, 1982, 1994-96, 2002 (17 Jan.),

2002-ongoing ( at the lava lake)

•1977 - Drained lava lake, killed over 1,000 people because of fast moving flows•1994 - Rwandan refugees fleeing during eruption caused a lot of destruction•2002 - Lava flows through downtown Goma, reaches Lake Kivu, only to ~150 km depth

Eruption History

A similar event happened again in January 2002, when lava flows from flank vents drained the lake and cut through Goma, reaching Lake Kivu.

During this most recent eruption, hundreds of thousands of people fled the nearby city of Goma as lava raced from the volcano, killing more than 100

people. A similarly deadly eruption occurred in 1977, when scientists measured lava travelling at 60 miles per hour faster than had ever been previously

observed.

Other important Facts

Few volcanoes are as spectacular as Mount Nyiragongo. Known for its active lava lake and (relatively) frequent eruptions, this incredible

volcano has the potential for widespread disaster.

Few volcanoes are as spectacular as Mount Nyiragongo. Known for its active lava lake and (relatively) frequent eruptions, this incredible

volcano has the potential for widespread disaster.

Other important Facts

Scientists predict future activity from Mount Nyiragongo in coming years, though they are unable to effectively study the

volcano and determine precisely when due to the war-torn state of the Congo.

It's hidden in the depths of Mount Nyiragongo and climbers must trek to an

altitude of nearly 11,400ft (3.47km) to

catch a glimpse of the lava lake.

Mount Nyiragongo is one of the most active volcanoes in the world,

erupting on average every 30 years.

From what scientists do know, Mount Nyiragongo contains one of the world’s deepest lava lakes.

Interestingly enough, only a handful of lava lakes have been discovered, making this volcano a great candidate for study and observation.

Nyamulagira is an active volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, situated about 25 km north of Lake Kivu. It has been

described as Africa's most active volcano and has erupted over 40 times since

1885. Its most recent eruption was on January 2, 2010