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25-517: Nyiragongo's lava lake has at times been the most voluminous known lava lake in recent history. The depth of the lava lake varies considerably. A maximum elevation of the lava lake was recorded at about 3,250 m (10,660 ft) prior to the January 1977 eruption – a lake depth of about 600 m (2,000 ft). Following the January 2002 eruption, the lava lake was recorded at a low of about 2,600 m (8,500 ft), or 900 m (3,000 ft) below

50-437: A natural disaster . The 1977 eruption raised awareness of the unique dangers posed by Nyiragongo, and because of this, in 1991 it was designated a Decade Volcano , worthy of particular study. The 1977 eruption was preceded by the creation of a new small volcanic vent, Murara , a short distance away on the slopes of Nyamuragira . Lava lakes reformed in the crater in eruptions in 1982–1983 and 1994. Another major eruption of

75-473: A large terminal and apron , the airport has not recovered from the 2002 eruption of the volcano Nyiragongo , 14 km to the north. The airport couldn't handle any wide-bodied aircraft except for freight operations run by relief agencies and the United Nations . A stream of fluid lava 200 m by 1000 m wide flowed onto the runway and through the city center as far as the lake shore, covering over

100-417: A new lava lake appeared at the volcano for the first time in 75 years. The previous lava lake at the volcano was emptied in the 1938 lava flow. The formation of the new lake occurred between June and August 2014. It reached a depth of 500 metres (1,600 ft). The eruption did not affect the communities in the area but left a lot of ash and air pollution. Sulfate aerosols formed by volcanic sulfur dioxide from

125-493: Is in the Nord-Kivu Province. It is 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north-north-west of Nyiragongo, the volcano which caused extensive damage to the city of Goma in its 2002 eruption. Nyamuragira has a volume of 500 cubic kilometres (120 cu mi), and covers an area of 1,500 square kilometres (580 sq mi). It has a low shield profile and contrasts with adjacent steep-sided Nyiragongo volcano. Nyamuragira volcano

150-444: Is ongoing. As of 2020, the lake is mostly confined within a broad, steep-sided cinder cone (roughly 18 m (60 ft) high by 180 m (600 ft) wide) on the crater floor. 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 km/h (37 mph) on

175-483: Is responsible for a large portion of the sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere by volcanoes. At dawn on 2 January 2010 Nyamuragira began spewing out lava flows. There are no settlements close to the volcano, but wildlife officials feared that the eruption may threaten the chimpanzees in the area. Another danger was that the lava could have flowed into the southern sector of Virunga National Park , where there are settlements and villages. Extensive lava flows from

200-503: The Goma airport and moved towards the city centre of eastern Goma. It was later confirmed by the North Kivu province 's military governor that the eruption was at around 17:00 GMT. A highway to Beni was cut off by lava, and authorities urged residents from the city of Goma to evacuate, causing thousands of people to leave their homes. There was also an electricity cut across large areas following

225-407: The 2010 eruption can be seen on satellite photographs reaching 25 kilometres (16 mi) south-west to Lake Kivu, about 22 kilometres (14 mi) north-west and 35 kilometres (22 mi) north-north-east. The volcano erupted again on 5 November 2011. That eruption produced a 400-metre (1,300 ft) high column of lava, and it is said to have been its largest eruption in 100 years. In 2014,

250-911: The GVO is in doubt, as the World Bank decided in 2020 to terminate its contributions. Nyamuragira Nyamuragira , also known as Nyamulagira , is an active shield volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , situated about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Lake Kivu . The name is derived from the Kinyarwanda Bantu verb Kuragira nyamu , meaning to herd animals ; nyamu means animal or cows . It has been described as Africa's most active volcano and has erupted over 40 times since 1885. As well as eruptions from

275-521: The end of the fissure and flowed in a stream 200 to 1,000 metres (660 to 3,280 ft) wide and up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) deep through Goma. Warnings had been given and 400,000 people were evacuated from the city across the Rwandan border into neighbouring Gisenyi during the eruption. Lava covered the northern end of the runway at Goma International Airport , leaving the southern two-thirds usable, and reached Lake Kivu . This raised fears that

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300-529: The eruption. As of 27 May 2021, 37 people were missing and presumed dead, after a lava flow reached the outskirts of the city of Goma . The eruption resulted in at least 32 deaths, mostly caused by car crashes in the ensuing evacuation. The volcano is continuously monitored by a team of scientists at the Goma Volcanic Observatory (GVO), with seismic data produced every four minutes and temperature data produced every ten minutes. Continued funding for

325-466: The eruptions were observed as far away as over the central Amazon rain forest in South America. By 2018, the lava lake had hardened and the activity appeared to have stopped. Eruptive activity continues during 2021 at the summit caldera. In 2021, a lava lake appeared at the volcano based on a June 11 satellite image. On July 26, 2024, lava began to overflow the northern caldera rim and flowed towards

350-500: The gas seeps from the ground at relatively high levels, without the dispersing effects of wind, its effects can be deadly. On 8 March 2016, Goma Volcano Observatory discovered a new vent that opened in the northeast edge of the crater, following local reports of rumblings coming from the volcano. Some fear that this could lead to a flank eruption . Observers in 2020 witnessed a rise in the lava lake and other signs of an impending eruption. An eruption began on 22 May 2021. Lava approached

375-564: The lava and earthquakes. Lava covered 13 percent of Goma, about 1.8 square miles (4.7 km), and nearly 120,000 people were left homeless . Immediately after the eruption stopped, a large number of earthquakes were felt around Goma and Gisenyi. This swarm activity continued for about three months and caused the collapse of more buildings. Six months after the start of the 2002 eruption, Nyiragongo volcano erupted again. Localized carbon dioxide toxicity, known locally as ' mazuku ', has killed children even more recently. In locations where

400-472: The lava might cause gas-saturated waters deep in the lake to suddenly rise to the surface, releasing lethally large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane  – similar to the disaster at Lake Nyos in Cameroon in 1986. This did not happen, but volcanologists continue to monitor the area closely. About 245 people died in the eruption from asphyxiation by carbon dioxide and buildings collapsing due to

425-485: The minerals nepheline , leucite , melilite , kalsilite , and clinopyroxene . This very low silica composition results in eruptions with unusually fluid flows. Whereas most lava flows move rather slowly and rarely pose a danger to human life, Nyiragongo's lava flows may race downhill at up to 100 km/h (60 mph). Not much is known about how long the volcano has been erupting, but it has erupted at least 34 times since 1882, including many periods where activity

450-406: The northern 1000 m of the runway and isolating the terminal and apron which were only connected by taxiway to the northern end. The lava can easily be seen in satellite photographs, and aircraft can be seen using the 2000 m southern section of the runway which is clear of lava. A temporary apron was made at the side of the operational part of the runway. A Douglas DC-8 was left stranded on

475-462: The northwest. This was accompanied by a large increase in effusive lava output. The flow advanced 5km in the first day. Goma International Airport Goma International Airport ( IATA : GOM , ICAO : FZNA ) ( French : Aéroport international de Goma ) is an airport serving Goma , a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa . Initially built with a paved 3000 m runway and

500-622: The rim. The level has gradually risen since then. Nyiragongo and nearby Nyamuragira are together responsible for 40% of Africa's historical volcanic eruptions . The volcano partly overlaps with two older volcanoes, Baruta and Shaheru, and is also surrounded by hundreds of small volcanic cinder cones from flank eruptions. Nyiragongo's cone consists of pyroclastics and lava flows. Nyiragongo's lavas are low-silica, alkali-rich, ultramafic extrusive rocks essentially free of feldspars . They range from olivine-rich melilitites through leucites to nephelinites , containing, in various proportions mainly

525-507: The summit, there have been numerous eruptions from the flanks of the volcano, creating new smaller volcanoes that have lasted only for a short time (e.g. Murara from late 1976 to 1977). Recent eruptions occurred on 2 January 2010, 8 November 2011 and 23 May 2021. Nyamuragira volcano is an active volcano near the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, situated about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Lake Kivu. It

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550-433: The terminal apron, which is now used by commercial passengers and the military. In December 2012, a contractor began work on cleaning up and fencing in the airport. In February 2017, satellite imagery showed the runway had not yet been repaired where the lava damage occurred. Repairs were started during 2019 and completed by August 2020 according to satellite imagery from Google. News reports first indicated that lava from

575-472: The upper slopes, the fastest lava flow recorded to date, overwhelming villages and killing at least 50 people in the villages of Kibati and Moniki, according to reports made at the time. Within 30 minutes, the lava lake had emptied, flowing north, south, and west of the volcano. 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

600-430: The volcano began on 17 January 2002, after several months of increased seismic and fumarolic activity. A 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) fissure opened in the south flank of the volcano, spreading in a few hours from 2,800 to 1,550 metres (9,190 to 5,090 ft) elevation and reaching the outskirts of the city of Goma , the provincial capital on the northern shore of Lake Kivu . Lava streamed from three spatter cones at

625-425: Was continuous for years at a time, often in the form of a churning lava lake in the crater. The existence of the lava lake had been suspected for some time but was not scientifically confirmed until 1948. At that time, it was measured at nearly 120,000 square metres (1.3 × 10 ^  sq ft). Subsequent expeditions showed that the lake fluctuated in size, depth, and temperature over time. The lava lake activity

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