Nyirangongo is an active stratovolcano located in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has a history of frequent eruptions that have caused loss of life and destruction of property. In 2002, a fissure eruption drained the lava lake and sent fast-moving lava flows through the city of Goma, killing over 100 people. Nyirangongo poses multiple hazards from lava flows, volcanic ash, and gas emissions. It contains one of the few active lava lakes in the world, making it an important volcano to study, though its location in a conflict zone limits scientific observation.

1. Volcano
G7 | G27 | B7 | B16 | B18 | B20G7 | G27 | B7 | B16 | B18 | B20

2. Nyirangongo is a steep-sided, active volcano, a
stratovolcano with an elevation of 3470 m ( 11,382
ft ) in the Virunga Mountains.
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.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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