Nyiragongo Volcano is located in the western part of the African Rift. Deep fractures allow gas upwelling during passive and active periods. This study presents the variability of sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentration measured at the Rusayo site and carbon dioxide (CO2) measured at five separate sites (Bugarura and Munigi) and the seismic activity, most of these measurements were made before and after the eruption. The peak concentrations of SO2 and CO2 correlate well with the tremor measured continuously on the volcano. The Nyiragongo volcano erupted on the evening of Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 6:15 pm local time in Goma. Lava flowed in two directions from the flanks of the Nyiragongo volcano, killing 32 people, destroying 17 villages in the Nyiragongo territory, and cracking the ground in the city of Goma and Gisenyi. The Nyiragongo volcano is infamous for its extremely fluid lava that flows like water when the lava lake flows. Nyiragongo is a major contributor of SO2 and CO2 to the atmosphere. Note that this eruption of 2021 is similar to the one of 2002, which caused the death of a hundred people and the evacuation of many people, the most deadly date of 1977, had killed more than 600 people. The earthquakes were felt, after the eruption May 22, 2021 the strongest had a magnitude of 5.2.
In the area north of Lake Kivu, in the western part of the African Rift, deep fractures allow the uptake of gas, especially carbon dioxide. The Nyiragongo territory is located in the western part of the African Rift Valley. The deep fractures allow gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), to rise. CO 2 is a heavier-than-air gas, asphyxiating, irritating to the eyes, nose and throat, and deadly at concentrations above 15%. The variation of CO 2 in the different stations allows us to study the behaviour of the Nyiragongo volcano although in our stations we have not reached the lethal concentration of CO 2 . The volcanic activity of Nyiragongo is therefore closely monitored by the inhabitants, and any news of increased activity agitates the inhabitants of the region, especially those living in the Nyiragongo territory. Here we report a short carbon dioxide monitoring time series for five stations (BUGARURA I, II, III, IV and MUNIGI stations). The various variations in CO 2 give us information about the activity of the Nyiragongo Volcano in the crater. The active volcanoes of the Virunga chain expose the Nyiragongo region to numerous natural hazards such as lava flows, gas plumes, dissolved gases in Lake Kivu and risks related to epidemiological diseases and armed conflicts.
The Nyiragongo volcano is located in the western part of the African Rift. The deep fractures allow the upwelling of gases before and after the eruption, especially carbon dioxide (CO2). We want to understand the behaviour of carbon dioxide before and after the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano on 22 May 2021. The Nyiragongo volcano erupted on the evening of Saturday 22 May 2021 at 18:15 local time in Goma, about 20 km north of the city of Goma. The lava flowed in two directions from the flanks of the volcano, one flow coming to a halt in the northeastern suburbs of Goma, The other flow cut off one kilometre of the national road 4 linking Goma to Butembo, a major regional road vital for the supply of the city of Goma, causing 32 victims, the production of several volatile gases in the atmosphere, the destruction of 17 villages in the territory of Nyiragongo and the cracking of the ground in the city of Goma and Gisenyi. The Nyiragongo Volcano is infamous for its extremely fluid lava that flows like water when the lava lake flows, which is monitored by the scientific community of the Goma Volcanological Observatory (O.V.G), the lava lake is the seat of an intense gas production. CO2 is a gas that is heavier than air, asphyxiating, and deadly at a concentration of 15%. The variation of CO2 in the different sites allows us to study the behaviour of the Nyiragongo Volcano, one Month before the eruption, the CO2 showed an increasing trend in some sites and a few Months after the eruption we observed a slight decrease in all the CO2 monitoring sites. Nyiragongo is an important contributor of CO2 and SO2 to the troposphere. This 2021 eruption is similar to the one of 17 January 2002, which caused the death of about 100 people and the evacuation of several people. The most deadly eruption of Nyiragongo was in 1977, when more than 600 people died.Post-eruption seismic activity was characterised by a large number of earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 or more. A few earthquakes of magnitudes greater than 3.5 have been recorded by global seismic networks (USGS), the strongest of which had a magnitude of 5.2 in 2002.Compared to other eruptions that Nyiragongo volcano has experienced, the seismic activity before the eruption of 22 May 2021 was not too alarming. This is because there were no strong earthquakes (greater than or equal to 3.5) that preceded the eruption a few months before, as had been noted in previous eruptions. After eruption, exceptional seismic activity was noticed. Many earthquakes of magnitudes greater than or equal to 3.5 were recorded by the local seismographic network. These earthquakes were felt, the strongest having a magnitude of 5.2
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