Mount Nyiragongo popularly known as “General Nyiragongo,” is a perfect destination “Because when he comes, everyone runs?”, But What about that?
Mount Nyiragongo is the world’s most active strato volcano with an altitude approximately 3,470 m 11,380 ft in the Virunga Mountains which is linked with the Albertine rift located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, roughly 20 km north of the border town of Goma and Lake Kivu and bordered to the west by Rwanda.
Its main crater is estimated to be two kilometers wide and containing Lava Lake; it is of late has two separate cooled lava benches within the crater walls – one at about 3,175 m (10,417 ft) and a lower one with roughly 2,975 m (9,760 ft.).
Nyiragongo’s lava lake is the largest known lava lake in recent history. Its depth varies considerably; the highest altitude 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). A recent very low altitude of the lava lake was recorded approximately 2,700 m (8,900 ft). It is interesting and important to note that Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira are together accountable for 40% of Africa’s unforgettable volcanic eruptions.
The volcano partially runs across two older volcanoes, Baratu and Shaheru, and surrounded by hundreds of small volcanic cinder cones from flank eruptions.
In most cases, the lava emitted in eruptions at Nyiragongo is unusually fluid. Nyiragongo’s lavas are comprised of melilite nephelinite which is an alkali-rich type of volcanic rock whose rare chemical composition may be the cause of volatility of the lavas there.
The lava lake activity continued through 2010. As of June 2010, the lake is mostly confined within a broad, steep-sided cinder cone (roughly 18 m (60 ft) high on the crater floor.
In 1982–1983 and 1994, the lava lake re-occurred covering the summit of the mountain, this calmed not until January 17th 2002 when the eruption reoccurred after several months of fumaric and seisenic activity.
The 13 km crack opened in the south edge of the volcano, flowing in a few hours from 2800m to 1550m altitude and reaching the border of Goma, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu. Lava came out from three splash cones at the end of the crack and flowed in a stream of 200 to 1000m wide and up to 2m deep through Goma.
Prior to the incident, the residents of the place had been cautioned and approximately 400,000 people relocated from the city across the Rwandan border into neighboring Gisenyi as the eruption occurred. The Lava covered the runway at Goma International Airport, leaving only the southern two-thirds usable, stretching to Lake Kivu. This incident raised panic as members thought the lava might cause gas-saturated waters in the lake to suddenly rise to the surface, releasing incurably large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane comparable to the incident at Lake Nyos in Cameroon in 1986.
Accessing Mount Nyiragongo is very simple and safe with a very comfortable road as well as good vehicles, the journey that starts at the town of Gisenyi in Rwanda lasts for approximately 30minutes into Goma, Congo where the mountain is situated, and you need to cross border in order to get to the bottom of the volcano. You have numerous options such as renting a car, using public means such as a bus, commuter Taxis, etc.
Hiking.
Hiking this iconic Mountain does not need any skill but rather a determined heart as well as a winning spirit. It takes only 5-6 hours to reach the mountain top while crossing the amazing vegetation, it starts with a morning briefing at the mountain base camp at 10am before setting off for the memorable journey to the summit, situated at 11,382ft above sea level.
Upon reaching the summit, gather on top of the mountains edge. Mount Nyiragongo’s lava lake bubbles a few hundred feet beneath the summit. It seems to cannibalize itself, as pockets of fire engulf new areas.
But nevertheless, not much is yet known about how long the volcano has been erupting, but since 1882, it has erupted at least 34 times, including many periods where activity was continuous for years at a time, often in time, but was not scientifically confirmed until 1948.
At that time, it was measured at nearly 120,000 square metres (1,300,000 sq ft. Preceding research and studies showed that the lake decreased in size, depth, and temperature over time. Book your Trip to Mount Nyirango and discover the world by yourself.
