Page 63 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

40 Africa

Nyiragongo lava flows from the 1.2km-wide crater. Similar
Nyiragongo (1°31´S, 29°15´E; 3470m) is one of destruction also occurred during the 1997
Africa’s most remarkable volcanoes. This strat- eruption, draining fluid lavas from the crater to the
ovolcano in the Albertine Rift Valley, 20km north city in less than one hour (Allard et al, 2003).
of Goma, DRC, has been erupting every three to Notwithstanding this damage Nyiragongo is
five years since the early 20th century. However, seen as an exceptional resource for the people
for a long period of time during the 19th century living in this area. For the local population its lavas
it was thought that this volcano was dead. In fact, bring forth rich soils of outstanding productivity
when the expedition by Von Goetzen climbed this that support their living, and for the tourists and
mountain in 1894 for the first time ever, they climbers it has always been an exciting experience
found no sign of recent activity, except for some climbing the mountain and catching a view of the
smoke from fumaroles. But this came to an abrupt huge boiling lava lake from the crater rim. But
end in 1928 when the lava lake in the crater was sometimes at a great price: in July 2007, a Chinese
created (Diallo, 1975; Tazieff, 1979; GVP/USGS, tourist plummeted 120m to her death from the
2008a). crater rim onto a ledge close to the lake of molten
Nyiragongo erupted in 1972, in 1975, in lava. She could not be rescued in time due to the
1977, in 2002 and in 2006. Its eruptions are always unfavourable conditions inside the crater (ABC
preceded by strong tremors, according to which a News, 2007; Polgreen, 2008).
state of emergency is declared by the Goma
Geophysical Observatory. The 2002 eruption Nyamulagira
caused a lot of damage to Goma: more than 4500 Nyamulagira (1°24´S, 29°12´E; 3058m) is located
houses were burned by, or buried under 2m-thick about 25km north of Lake Kivu, and 13km

Figure 2.5 The stratovolcano Nyiragongo in the DRC
Source: Photo courtesy of Maik Bunschkowski (Wikimedia Commons)

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