Volcano Rango is famous for... Lake of hot lava in the crater of Nyiragongo volcano in Congo
Lava lake The Nyiragongo volcano reaches a width of 600 meters. The volcano is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, at the bottom of the Central African giant rift in the earth's crust. Here is the area of Virunga volcanic activity, which stretches for one hundred kilometers and where 8 volcanic cones rise, the most active of which is Nyiragongo.
Not far from the volcano is the city of Goma; the volcano itself covers an area of 350 square kilometers. For residents of a nearby town, one of the main problems is the outpouring of huge lake lava located on top of Nyiragongo. Lava outpourings were observed twice and caused numerous casualties.
Numerous gas outlets are observed at the volcano; in addition, they even exist in the city of Goma, located 18 kilometers from Nyiragongo.
The height of 2761 meters is the most dangerous place Nyiragongo, 40 meters above this mark, a lava lake splashes inside the cone, which is hidden by the walls of the volcano, and if a tunnel appears here, the lava will flow down the slope. At this mark, a trench begins, 15 kilometers long, which leads directly to the city of Goma. Along the entire length of the giant trench, on the slope, fountains of hot lava erupted from the ground, some rising 200 - 300 meters. The 1977 eruption released approximately 100 million cubic meters of lava. Entire hills disappeared in this fault; before, scientists had never been able to observe such a thing as the appearance of an entire system of cracks and faults in a matter of hours.
The lava lake is surrounded by water vapor, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide. The lava lake was not always here, Nyiragongo is a stratovolcano, therefore, it was formed as a result of a series of explosions and is now characterized by periodic explosive eruptions. The volcano is composed of layers of lava and volcanic ash, and an explosion initiated its formation at the opening of the rift. The lake has supposedly existed since 1927, but it is most likely much older. Long before this date, there was evidence of crimson reflections at the western end of the Virunga chain, but no written evidence of this survives.
5 or 10 meters above the lake level there is something like a coastal strip. This shore is occasionally flooded by the rising lake level. Most likely, the rise in lake level indicates the seismic activity that accompanies this process. As soon as the level of hot lava rises, the walls of the crater begin to vibrate.
Scientists have been studying Nyiragongo for about 50 years; it was first examined by a Protestant missionary in 1935. In 1977, a strong eruption occurred, lava from the lake spilled onto the slopes of the volcano. That same year, the lava reached such a volume that the walls of the crater could no longer hold it, and it cracked and the magma flowed out. A tectonic shock was enough for the lava to swing and destroy the walls of the crater. The volume of lava in the lake was 22 million cubic meters, and all this volume spilled out in less than one hour. Lava flows rushed into Goma at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour.
The station, built after 2002, recorded an increase in the amount of lava; it even happened that the lava flooded the terrace, and then after a few hours its level decreased.
Along the fault formed in 1977, during the 2002 eruption, lava flowed along almost the same channel. If the level of lava in the crater rises by 200 - 300 meters, then its walls will not withstand it and the hydrostatic pressure of the magma will break it, tear it apart and create new cracks through which lava will flow.
The Nyiragongo volcano is located on a fault line formed by the displacement of tectonic plates. Continental volcanic activity is caused by ruptures in the earth's crust due to rising magma or the shifting of two tectonic plates. As the plates move apart, faults appear along which the level of magma increases and volcanoes form. There have been significant volcanic eruptions here over the past 40,000 years, but these eruptions have not yet ended and will continue.
If an eruption occurs, the population will be evacuated to the west of Goma, a sufficient distance from the Nyiragongo volcanic plain. Nyiragongo means the valley of red fire.
Within a radius of 50 kilometers from Nyiragongo, everything is ablaze with a red glow. From time to time, a flame flares up over the lava lake - these are burning gases.
Climbing the Nyiragongo volcano, which is located in the Virunga Mountains of the Republic of Congo, is the cherished dream of many travelers. Its top is a round crater. And in the depths you can see a huge boiling cauldron of a lava lake.
Particular daredevils spend the night at the foot, climb to the edge of the crater, walk on the frozen lava crust and even meet New Year along with Nyiragongo. Sometimes the volcano becomes covered with clouds of steam, and it becomes impossible to see the lake.
The best time for impressions is at night, which turns red due to the blazing magma. The sky is filled with scarlet paint for fifty kilometers. The fiery flashes of the lake dance on the surface, sometimes rising to a height of up to 30m. You can see how the bubbles explode and the basalt crusts drown. As the lake level rises, lava begins to pour over the edge, the walls of the crater shaking and humming.
This lava lake is considered the largest on the planet. The depth of Lake Nyiragon reaches 600m, and the temperature of the lava reaches 1000 degrees. The volume is also impressive - 76 million m3.
The lake lives its own mysterious life, and very little allows volcanologists and seismologists to approach it. Meanwhile, Nyiragongo is the most dangerous volcano on the planet, and primarily for the residents of the million-strong city of Goma. A huge city lies at the foot of the volcano, as if protesting against its power and strength.
During the existence of the city, the volcano already erupted in 2002. Sometimes it is in an active phase for many years in a row, as can be seen from the solidified magma. Nyiragongo lava is unusually fluid due to the fact that it contains little silicon and a lot of potassium. Its speed during the eruption is more than 70 km/h. Gentle slopes and faults in them only increase the danger of hot streams converging. Gas streams often escape through side craters and cracks. There are such places even in the city itself.
Nyiragongo Volcano - PHOTO
Mount Nyiragongo is located in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, 20 kilometers north of the city of Goma and Lake Kivu. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa and one of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains.
The diameter of the largest crater is about two kilometers wide, and in its very center a lake of hot lava often forms, which is the subject of this article.
For a long time, the hot Lake Nyiragongo was the largest in the world. Its depth depends on the degree of activity of the volcano - the maximum lava level was recorded at a height of 3250 meters during the eruption in January 1977. Then the depth of the lake reached 600 meters, and currently the lava is at around 2700 meters. 
It is unknown how long the volcano has been erupting. Since 1882, 34 major eruptions have been recorded. The volcano is constantly active, as evidenced by the lake of hot lava. 
The lava during the Nyiragongo eruption is distinguished by its fluidity. Perhaps the reason for this is an alkali-rich volcanic rock with a rare chemical composition. Due to the increased fluidity, lava flows during an eruption can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, which exceeds the speed of water during a similar flow. 
Between 1894 and 1977, the crater contained a permanent and very active lava lake. On January 10, 1977, the walls of the crater could not stand it and hot streams fell on the villages located at its foot, resulting in the death of 70 people. All of the above features make the Nyiragongo volcano unique and one of the most dangerous in the world, which also contains a lake of hot liquid lava. 
Another destructive eruption occurred here relatively recently - on January 17, 2002. Lava flows covered an area of 200-1000 meters, and their height was 2 meters. Warnings were issued and 400,000 people were evacuated from the potentially dangerous area. However, 147 people still died from suffocation from carbon dioxide and collapsing buildings. 
Six months after the 2002 eruption, the volcano erupted again. Activity still continues today, but is limited to the crater where a new lake has formed approximately 250 meters below the level of the 1994 lava lake. 
In June 2010, a group of scientists and desperate researchers came to the shore of a lake of boiling lava. These photographs were taken by Olivier Grunewald. 
The African volcano Nyiragongo is located in the Virunga Mountains, 20 km north of Lake Kivu and the city of Goma on its shore, in Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), more precisely, in the border zone with the Republic of Rwanda, to the west of it.
The Albertina Rift passes through this territory - deep depression in the earth's crust, due to which the crust in this place is very thin, Ancient geological processes have not yet completed here, and the consequence of this is the presence of active volcanoes in these places.
Nyiragongo is a stratovolcano; it has the shape of a wide and regular truncated cone and at its base merges with another volcano - Nyamlagira. At the top there is a well-shaped main crater with a diameter of 2000 m and a depth of 250 m. On the northern and southern slopes of the volcano, two side and more ancient secondary craters are visible - Baratu (3100 m) and Shaheru (2800 m).
On the slopes of the volcano there are hundreds of small ash cones formed as a result of lateral eruptions.
Two cooled lava terraces are clearly visible in the crater - at an altitude of 2975 and 3175 m. At the bottom of the main crater, a lava lake splashes with fiery flashes - the most extensive in modern history: its volume is 76 million m3.
The depth of the lake is unstable - about 600 m. The temperature of the lava reaches 982 ° C, and its splashes rise to a height of 7 to 30 m.
Nyiragongo lava is characterized by mobility (fluidity). The uniqueness of the volcano is that it is composed predominantly of fine-grained crystalline rocks containing more than 60% feldspathoid minerals with a predominance of light components. Unusually, neighboring Nyamlaghira and the South Kivu province are composed of alkali spar-dominated minerals. The magma of the volcano has a potassium composition and contains little silica. This explains its fluidity: lava flows reach speeds of 100 km/h, which is extremely unusual for stratovolcanoes.
Since 1882, 34 eruptions have been recorded, including periods when Nyiragongo's activity continued uninterrupted for many years, which manifested itself in the form of lava boiling in the crater of the lake. All this makes Nyiragongo one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
The proximity of the volcano to densely populated areas increases the likelihood of catastrophic consequences. In addition, the potential consequences of eruptions may be exacerbated by unique properties Nyiragongo volcano - it has steep slopes along which lava rapidly flows. Lava lakes are not uncommon, there are many of them, for example, on, but they are not typical for stratovolcanoes. 
The most notable recent eruptions occurred in 1977 and 2002. In 1977, the crater walls collapsed, lava rushed down the slope at a speed of about 100 km/h, and the lake was empty in less than 60 minutes. Lava covered several villages, killing 70 people. During the 2002 eruption, a 13-kilometer crack formed in the area of the southern slope of the volcano. A lava flow ranging from 200 to 1000 m wide rushed into the city of Goma. 400 thousand people were urgently evacuated. Lava filled the stripes international airport, reached Lake Kivu and stopped. If it combined with water, it would explode and release a deadly mixture of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. 147 people suffocated from toxic fumes and died under the ruins of houses. 14 thousand buildings in Goma were destroyed, 350 thousand people. became homeless. This eruption was the most destructive in recent history.
Nyiragongo is not only very active, but also the least studied. Volcanologists do not risk studying it because of the war that has been going on for the past 20 years in the east of the DRC and in Rwanda.
For people who live near the volcano, it is both a blessing and a curse: mineral-rich volcanic ash enriches the soil, but the eruptions destroy farms.
The volcano is located on the territory National Park Virunga and listed World Heritage UNESCO.
General information
An active volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Type: stratovolcano.
Location: Virunga Mountains, 20 km north of Lake Kivu.
Largest city: Goma, 377,112 people (2010).
Secondary craters: Barat (3100 m) and Shaher (2800 m).
Numbers
Height: 3470 m.
Crater diameter: 2000 m.
Crater depth: 250 m.
Lava lake depth: about 600 m.
Maximum lava lake level: 3250 m.
Minimum lava lake level: 2700 m.
Lava temperature: 982°C.
Economy
Agriculture: crop production, livestock breeding.
Cutting down bamboo and valuable wood species.
Service sector: transport.
Climate and weather
Equatorial, humid.
Average January temperature:+20°С.
Average temperature in July:+21°С.
Average annual precipitation: 1700 mm.
Daily temperature difference: 10-15°C.
Relative humidity: 77%.
Attractions
■ Nyiragongo Volcano;
■ Nyamlaghira Volcano;
■ Lake Kivu;
■ National Park Virunga;
■ Gishwati Forest Reserve.
Why we went to the volcano and how we got to the beginning of the climb, I have already told you.
All that remains is to say a few words about the volcano itself and quickly climb up.
Nyiragongo is a volcano in the Virunga Mountains. It is located on the Congolese territory bordering Rwanda.
The main crater of the volcano is 200 meters deep and 2 km wide; it contains a lake of bubbling lava, which recent years is constantly active and does not fade.
It is believed to be the largest lava lake on our planet.
Nyiragongo lava is unusually liquid and flowing. Such features are caused by a special chemical composition - it contains very little quartz. Thus, during an eruption, lava flows flowing along the slope of the volcano can reach speeds of 100 km/h.
Due to the turbulent situation in the region, everyone who wants to climb the volcano is accompanied by armed rangers.
These are such beauties.
To our large group(as I wrote earlier, there were only 20 people who wanted to climb that day) we were given three rangers with three guns.
Therefore, our multinational group did not have to worry about their safety.
One ranger walked in front, the second in the middle, the third covered the rear.
After listening to the instructions and wishes for a good journey, we set out on this very journey.
The path itself is not very difficult. However, I’ll write to someone else about this as well. But at least anyone can overcome it.
It takes 5-6 hours, 8 kilometers, climb 1500 meters.
Along the way there are 4 places with benches to rest.
And here, almost at the very beginning of the journey, one unpleasant feature of organized walks on this volcano became clear.
Having seen the three accompanying people (plus porters and cooks, the most advanced of whom served as assistants), we joyfully decided that now the group would be divided according to strengths and interests.
Moreover, the forces were very different. But we had only one interest - to come before everyone else and while there were no people to evaluate how possible it was to descend into the crater.
When we saw three armed escorts and a crowd of assistants, we no longer thought about resolving the issue of getting out by giving a small bribe.
Therefore, I wanted to study this issue without a crowd of people, without attracting much attention.
But alas. The slowest participant in our ascent was put forward. And in response to my requests to provide us with one accompanying person, the chief guide said that we would definitely do this, but only after three stops. Before this, everyone needs to stick together because there is a possibility of meeting with robbers.
And we slowly moved up.
The brave porters brought up the rear of our cavalcade. Check out our beautiful rolling suitcase. I can imagine what the person carrying it was thinking.
There were guys walking next to me who were discussing races in the mountains. So I stuck to them and, like a radio, listened to the training of my foreign colleagues.
Then we met another German who walked in the mountains and was on McKinley. He proudly showed me his poles from the company of the same name. To which I answered him that there is no such mountain now :)
Sasha said in surprise:
- Wow, he knows both English and French.
“And I also know a little Russian,” he immediately answered modestly.
Then it turned out that in total he knows either 10 or more languages.
In general, we had a fun and pleasant trip.
It was even more pleasant to relax. During the rest, the cook of each group gave his charges something tasty. Either a banana or nuts.
Everything would be fine, but the lead clouds on the horizon that promised to turn into rain were very confusing. Therefore, I really wanted to get there quickly so as to get less wet. But it was impossible to go faster.
The rain soon started to fall. It became very wet. And as you gain altitude it gets colder.
I figured that, as usual, it wouldn’t be cold while you were walking. And upstairs, put on dry, warm clothes.
Alas, “while you’re walking” didn’t work out very well.
Therefore, I whined more than anyone and constantly asked when it would be possible to split up and where the robbers were.
There were no robbers, so after three hours those who wanted to go faster were finally allowed to fulfill their desires.
Life has improved. The road became more picturesque. Finally we managed to warm up, and the rain almost stopped.
The slopes of Nyiragongo are lined with my favorite Senecias - funny plants that also grow on Kilimanjaro. Why do they claim that these are endemic.
Meanwhile, the slope became steeper and steeper. And it was no longer so easy to walk.
From time to time I had to look very carefully where to place my foot.
But nevertheless, less than five hours had passed, and we had already reached the house, from which there was a short passage to the top of the crater.
The transition was short, but along a very steep slope. Those who could not go further could be carried on stretchers.
By the way, from the very beginning they said that those interested could be brought from the very bottom for only $300.
This is the service.
From this house the roofs of our houses, to which we were so eager, were already visible.
All that remains is to carefully climb up the hill, not forgetting to admire the views.
The houses are getting closer. They are made of iron. Inside there is just room for two mattresses and some free space on the sides for things. The mattresses are good, covered with leatherette. Everything is clean and tidy. But it's very cold.
Smart people, of course, immediately went to occupy the houses and change clothes.
But is this why we went across half the world?
Therefore, whoever goes where, and we are on the crater.
And there...
Here it is - boiling and gurgling.
True, at first it was very cloudy and not very visible. Therefore, having checked in at the crater, with a clear conscience we went to look for a free house and warm ourselves up, so that later in the evening, when everything had stretched out and visibility had become much better, we could enjoy the spectacle to the fullest.
Well, see how to get down there, of course. We did not abandon this idea, despite all the difficulties. And a suitcase full of ropes and equipment stood exactly in the middle of the camp and waited in the wings.
And finally, about the difficulty of the climb.
My opinion is very subjective. But fortunately, almost all the participants in our ascent were not lazy and wrote their impressions, which Misha korostelev
I collected it in my journal.
Well, I'll take it away. It's not just about the climb. It’s also about overcoming oneself and all sorts of amazing discoveries for which we fly to the ends of the world.
Misha
As for the difficulty of the climb. This is definitely not an easy walk, but not some difficult climb either. For some it is difficult, for others it is very difficult, for others it is a real test of their willpower. There is no way back, only forward. I am firmly convinced that every healthy person, even a completely unathletic person, can climb.
It is important to have good shoes, dry clothes in case of rain and a warm sleeping bag.
Olya K:
“My son and I climbed for almost 5.5 hours. 8 kilometers. It was hard for me. I was resting due to my condition, but this is the case when there is no turning back - only forward. We walked half the way in tropical rain. So it’s not just a walk.
the next day the descent is almost 4 hours"
Yana:
“To begin with, for those who are unprepared and have no experience, climbing mountains is a very difficult test. A quarter of the way runs through the jungle, the path in which is greatly washed out if it rains (now it’s the rainy season) - as a result, wet feet and mud to the knees
The next two-quarters of the way is steeply uphill over crumbling lava rocks. Last part the path is very steep rocks, approximately 45 degrees upward, which in rainy conditions becomes very slippery both on the way up and especially on the way down.
About half of the way was spent in the rain, we were completely wet. And if we started the climb at a temperature of about +20, then at the top at night it was no more than +3 - there were no fires, we could only warm ourselves from the coals.
The fastest ones reached it in 5 hours, that is, this is the minimum - the maximum depends only on the physical capabilities of the tourists.
In our case, it was impossible not to get there, although there were such thoughts))
The fact is that there was nowhere to go down - there was no accommodation for those who could not cope below, a car with things on the other side of the border, of course there were no hotels in the nearest village, the population was not particularly friendly (rather the opposite) - even on the way the group was guarded by three rangers with machine guns from local robbers.
Therefore - dirty, damp, tired, soaked through - but they had to go.
So it's a really hard climb with no chance of changing your mind - not just a fun 4 hour hike. You need special clothes, shoes, attitude and fortitude. It would be nice to have some more physical training))"
Kate:
"yes, it was hard. I have never been a climber, and this path is not a walk, but an expedition. This should be taken into account by those who prefer easy trekking - this is not it at all. Yes, we got wet, cold, tired, there may be consequences for small health in the form of a cold, sprained or buzzing legs) and along the way you ask yourself 20 times what the hell I’m doing here voluntarily. But there is a huge but in all this - when the goal is achieved, you realize that a very big check mark has been set in life. , and this will be remembered. When you sit with tea by the coals on the top, hiding in a house from the wind, or watch how the lava splashes in the crater, you remember the climb, especially on the way back, and you don’t understand how you managed to get there in the first place. all the heaviness that falls along the way, you feel strong, free, and, damn it, happy. So the game is worth the candle if someone wants to test and strengthen their will (from the inexperienced, I mean). just walking along a flat path in the forest - then, of course, it’s not worth it"
Olya Rumyantseva (olly_ru):
"My look will be, so to speak, a professional on vacation :)
About the 45 degree rocks - Yana of course exaggerated. There will not even be 30 degrees on the last section of the slope, and these are not rocks, but a rather unpleasant path with slippery stones.
In everything else, I probably agree. Trekking cannot be called easy, but almost anyone can do it, even those who have never noticed such feats before. The distance is only 8 kilometers.
But you definitely need good clothes, and more importantly, good shoes and trekking poles. And be sure to have a lot of dry and warm clothes to completely change upstairs. It would also be a good idea to have spare shoes so that you don’t have to wear wet boots at the top, since even the best boots get wet when walking for a long time in wet mud.
For the first three hours, the group moves at the pace of the slowest member. So even if you walk quickly, stock up on warm clothes and waterproof capes (this was my mistake, I hoped that if there were 3 guides they would let us split up, we could go at our own pace and it would be warm).
It will not be clear who will be in the group until the start of the climb; they unite everyone who goes to the volcano that day. We were not very lucky; there were already 20 people. For the first three hours it was just one crowd. So it turned out to be five hours. So you could walk in about 4 hours for sure. But you need to rely on clothes for the saddest option.
And be sure to pack all your things in waterproof bags and don’t forget a warm sleeping bag.
Well, in any case, remember that an unforgettable sight awaits you at the top, for which it is worth suffering a little."
Vanya:
“Trekking was very likely not difficult, as Olga Rumyantseva says. But it seemed extremely difficult to me. The fact is that I lead an extremely inactive lifestyle: work nearby, a car nearby, zero sports. Therefore, I was very tired after two hours of walking (by the second stop) I was so tired that (due to the lack of experience and unsportsmanlike behavior in life) I thought that I would definitely not climb to the top. When at times the peak appeared high, far ahead, I was attacked by the fear that I would climb this slope. I definitely won’t submit. However, thanks to Yana Selezneva (and the wish she made), with whom we were the very last. Thanks to her support and the fact that I was not alone at the end, I found the strength to move on - forward and upward.
When I finally saw the last rest stop and the people on it, I realized that we were not so far behind the other Mzungu. Behind this halt there was a very steep (for me) slope, it seemed unreal to me, but people were cheerfully stomping along it and the peak no longer seemed so unattainable.
In general, in the end I was the last to climb, except for the porter and the guide with the machine gun.
For me, the Nyirogongo slope was proof that I could do much more than I had previously imagined. This serious discovery allows me to take a broader look at the possibilities that I may be giving up when I just have to stomp and stomp, I can handle everything. I am very happy and pleased with myself that I climbed this volcano; it revealed something about me that I didn’t know about myself.
Everything about the equipment was written correctly. I was poorly equipped, well at least my boots didn’t let me down and I didn’t squelch my socks for 6 hours. The rain took me by surprise: the raincoat is no good - it’s short and doesn’t let the moisture out. As a result, there is a bathhouse under him, and all the rain drains from him onto his jeans, which in the end were soaked through.
Thanks to everyone who traveled with me, I apologize to those whom I slowed down. Mikhail Korostelev and TeamTrip - gratitude for the organization; I myself would never have been able to push myself out of my comfort zone. One can feel an upsurge of spirit and strength; understanding the wrong way of life pushes one to make changes. I hope that all this will not be lost in Moscow with its routine and I will still change something in my current lifestyle.
I’ll definitely go on the next trek, but later and definitely much better prepared and equipped.”
And again Katya:
Life is made up of many things. From the choices you make, from the minutes that add up to Time, memories, casual acquaintances, changing plans and trials in which you recognize yourself again. And feelings, of course. This is the feeling when you stand on the edge of a volcano crater, looking at the seething lava. Cold from the piercing wind, warm from a mug of hot tea in your hands, tired from 6 hours difficult climb on a volcano 3500 meters high, delighted with everything that is happening around. Reach - done, for the first time with bated breath look into the fiery bowels of the earth - done. But that’s not all, because the day before the volcano is another adventure, an amazing acquaintance with the mountain gorillas of Uganda. When these powerful, plush, slightly lazy animals are a meter away from you, you really want to run your fingers through this fur. And even if it’s not easy to get to them, through the jungle and blurred paths, every breath in their company is worth achieving. And even when the male - the head of the family - threateningly advances on you with a roar, hinting that he also has personal space and should not be violated - it’s not scary, and you immediately know what to do - just respect the boundaries. To pay tribute to nature is to communicate with this endangered species, because there are only about 700 of them left on the planet. Overcome yourself by climbing the Nyiragongo volcano in the Congo - and realize that you can do much more than you thought, and feel that feeling of freedom and delight at the top. This is life, this is where it is. And with this awareness, it is not so difficult to enter a new stage of life, knowing that you are something more than you are.
