Volcano Erupts in Eastern Congo, Thousands Flee Goma City
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Geography
- Published
26th May, 2021
-
Context
Lava from the volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo approached towards the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s main city of Goma and has caused thousands to flee the city.
About the Mount Nyiragongo and the volcanic eruption
-
Mount Nyiragongois an active stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains which is associated with the Albertine Rift.
-
It is located inside the Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
-
The main crater is about two kilometres wide and contains a lava lake.
-
Nyiragongo and nearby Nyamuragira both are responsible for 40% of Africa's volcanic eruptions.
-
It is one of the world’s most activevolcanoes and is considered among the most dangerous volcanoes.
-
Nyiragongo’s was erupted last in 2002 which killed 250 people and left 120,000 homeless.
Lava Lake
- Lava lakes are large volumes of molten lava that are usually basaltic.
- Lava is contained in a volcanic vent, crater, or broad depression.
- It describes both lava lakes that are wholly or partly molten and those that are solidified.
- Lava lakes can form in three ways
- from one or more vents in a crater which erupts enough lava to partially fill the crater
- when lava pours into a crater or broad depression and partially fills the crater
- atop a new vent that erupts lava continuously for a period of several weeks or more and slowly builds a crater progressively higher than the surrounding ground
Some notable examples
- Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica
- K?lauea, Big Island, Hawaii
- Mount Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
