Monitoring of CO<sub>2</sub> in the Nyiragongo Volcano Cracks on Bugarura and Munigi Sites from January 2019 to January 2020

Abstract

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.