I-MAG STS Corporation
Nyiragongo has had thirty-four major eruptions since
1882. The latest was in 2002 (see
www.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/KAZANKYO/n_report/72.pdf),
and it destroyed about one-third of the city of Goma. In
the photo to the upper right, Lake Kivu is in the
foreground and the white cottony area in the middle is
indeed a cloud. The white plume coming from the center
of the stratovolcano's cone is steam and other gases
being emitted by the 3500 meter tall volcano. It is
unknown how great the subterranean inflow of gases
into Lake Kivu is. Nor is it known whether the nearby
Nyamuragira also contributes to the lake's problem. The
photo to the lower right is a night shot of the very active
lava lake inside Nyiragongo. Unfortunately, due to some
unique chemical properties and the steepness of the
volcano's slopes, it is expected that the lava will again
flow at nearly sixty miles an hour at some points. An
international team of geologists in currently trying to
determine whether there is potential for large ash falls
and pyroclastic flows in addition to lava.
1882. The latest was in 2002 (see
www.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/KAZANKYO/n_report/72.pdf),
and it destroyed about one-third of the city of Goma. In
the photo to the upper right, Lake Kivu is in the
foreground and the white cottony area in the middle is
indeed a cloud. The white plume coming from the center
of the stratovolcano's cone is steam and other gases
being emitted by the 3500 meter tall volcano. It is
unknown how great the subterranean inflow of gases
into Lake Kivu is. Nor is it known whether the nearby
Nyamuragira also contributes to the lake's problem. The
photo to the lower right is a night shot of the very active
lava lake inside Nyiragongo. Unfortunately, due to some
unique chemical properties and the steepness of the
volcano's slopes, it is expected that the lava will again
flow at nearly sixty miles an hour at some points. An
international team of geologists in currently trying to
determine whether there is potential for large ash falls
and pyroclastic flows in addition to lava.
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