SERVIR AFRICA - Mt Nyamulagira volcanic eruption

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Mt Nyamulagira volcanic eruption

Mount Nyamulagira, situated in Virunga National Park 25km (16 miles) north of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, erupted in the early hours of 2nd January 2010, according to the Congolese Wildlife Authority. Lava spewed along the volcano’s southern flank into Virunga National Park. Even though there were no human casualties, the eruption is a threat to flora and fauna of the Virunga National park including about 48 rare chimpanzees which live near the volcano. The park, the oldest in Africa and a UNESCO heritage site is home to about 200 of the world's last 750 mountain gorillas. The gorilla’s however are situated on the far eastern parts of the park and were not directly threatened.

Following Nyamulagira’s eruption, SERVIR-Africa tasked NASA’s EO-1 land imaging satellite to monitor the lava flow and emissions from the volcano. In spite of the prevailing cloud cover, images captured by the Hyperion sensor aboard EO-1 on 6th January 2010, at approximately midday, showed smoke and ash-filled plumes emanating from the volcano. Nyamulagira’s volcanic lava flows usually pose little danger to human populations except when the flow is southbound – towards Goma city. However, its poisonous smoke and ash threaten vegetation and wildlife in the surrounding Virunga National Park and could contaminate drinking water for miles around.

SERVIR-Africa also took advantage of data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument aboard NASA’s Aura satellite to track emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) released from the volcano from 2nd January to 8th January 2010. The images show the concentration levels and spread of SO2 peaking on the 6th of January. SO2 poses a threat to the flora and fauna of the surrounding Virunga National Park. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, SO2can contribute to upper respiratory infections and can exacerbate heart and lung ailments. It can also cause acid rain. Likewise, SO2 can affect climate because it changes to sulphate particles. Since sulphate particles are bright, they reflect sunlight, and if an eruption is strong enough to boost these particles into the stratosphere, where they are not washed out by rainfall, they can cool the climate for more than a year.

Nyamulagira, which stands at 3,058 meters (10,033 feet), is Africa’s most active volcano and is a twin to Mount Nyaragongo, which lies about 12 kilometres southeast. The two are the only active volcanoes among the eight forming the Virunga chain on the borders of the DR Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.

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