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Charlie Kenzie Mount Nyiragongo

7th October 2009

Mount Nyiragongo is a stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains in the Democratic Re ublic o! the Congo" about 20 #m north o! the to$n o! %oma an& 'a#e Kivu an& (ust $est o! the bor&er $ith R$an&a) *igure + sho$s its location) ,ince +--2" it has eru te& at least ./ times an& at times been very e0 losive inclu&ing many erio&s $here activity $as continuous !or years at a time) *or us to un&erstan& the reasons behin& its volcanic activity it is im ortant to consi&er the causes !or its e0istence)

Mount Nyiragongo

Democratic Re ublic o! Congo

*igure +

1o !in& the origins o! Mount Nyiragongo" $e have to re!lect on the late tectonics an& movement o! the lithos here near to the location) 2n !igure 2" it is clear that volcanic activity is not &ue to it being locate& near a ma(or late boun&ary) ,o $hy is it that a volcano such as Nyiragongo has been !orme& in an area so !ar a$ay !rom a late boun&ary3 2ts e0istence is &ue to its location near to the %reat Ri!t Valley $hich runs almost si0 thousan& #ilometres !rom ,yria in ,outh$est 4sia to central Mozambi5ue in 6ast 4!rica) 2t is robably that the !ormation o! the ri!t valley 7!igure .8 $as cause& *igure 2 $hen t$o +

Charlie Kenzie

7th October 2009

continental arts o! the lithos here move& a art an& the rise o! magma" ossibly a hot s ot or the &ecrease in ressure" cause& the basal heating o! the continental lithos here) 1he lithos here here becomes less lastic an& less &ense &ue to the increase o! heat !rom the rising magma) 1he less &ense roc# then rose to !orm a &ome above the area being heate&) 4s the thic# continental crust arche& u $ar&s the lates $ere ulle& thin by e0tensional !orces) 1he brittle crust then !racture& on each si&e o! the stresse& area" allo$ing sections to &ro ) 1he result is a rugge& terrestrial ri!t) *igure . belo$ sho$s the #ey stages in the &evelo ment o! continental ri!ts) *igure . +) Crust thins 9 change in ressure may cause magma to rise) 4lternatively a buil& u o! ra&ioactive material in the asthenos here might cause a rising lume o! hot magma) Movement o! lates) Crust thins more &ue to e0tensional !orces) *aults start to a ear as the crust is more brittle)

Crust arches u $ar&s &ue to the rise o! hot magma)

2)

Magma intrusions start to occur) ,ection o! crust &ro s &ue to !ractures either si&e o! the stresse& area)

.)

Magma intrusions are no$ more common as the !aults rovi&e an easier route !or the magma to rise an& release its ressure) Volcanoes can be !orme& either si&e o! the ri!t valley

1he continental crust is too thic# to be bro#en cleanly an& the rugge& ri!t valley is create&)

4 smaller late calle& the ,omalian late has been create& as a conse5uence o! its movement a$ay !rom the main 4!rican late) 2nterestingly" the s rea&ing o! the continental lithos here ro agates out$ar&s in three &irections) 1he 4!rican late moves $est $hile the smaller" ,omalian late" moves more in an 6asterly &irection)

Charlie Kenzie

7th October 2009

1hese t$o lates are also moving a$ay !rom the 4rabian late to the north) 1he oint $here these three lates meet !orms a tri le9(unction in the 4!ar region o! 6thio ia 7see !igure /8) 1he tri le :s rea&ing; o! the continental lithos here causes three ri!t arms to s rea& out li#e s o#es) One o! the ri!ts ro agates south !rom the tri le (unction to !orm the %reat Ri!t Valley) 4s the crust continues to ull a art local $ea#nesses are create& &ue to e0tensional !orces) 1his can cause even more &oming o! the continental lithos here as the rising magma struggles to reach the sur!ace) One theory is that this has occurre& aroun& the area o! Kenya creating a huge &ome 7!igure <8) =ust as reviously &iscusse&" the u li!t o! the crust causes continental ri!ting surroun&ing the &ome) 1his may have been the reason !or the creation o! some o! the la#es in the area inclu&ing 'a#e 1anganyi#a an& 'a#e Kivu) 2t is li#ely that oceanic basaltic se&iments collecte& above the revious continental crust an& the ri!t became !loo&e& creating la#es 7!igures < > ?8) 1he continue& ri!ting aroun& the Kenyan &ome cause& the creation o! the $estern an& eastern ri!ts) *igure < sho$s ho$ the $estern ri!t valley stretches north9$est to$ar&s R$an&a an& the Dominican Re ublic o! Congo) 2t is li#ely the volcanic activity seen at Mount Nyiragongo is &ue to this ri!t valley)

1ri le =unction

*igure / @ sho$s the tri le (unction in the 4!ar region o! 6tho ia an& the three ri!ts that ro agate out$ar&s &ue to the o osing movements)

*igure < @ sho$s the s lit u o! the eastern an& $estern ri!t valleys &ue to increase& $ea#nesses in the crust) Cause& by &oming in the Kenya region 7see !igure ? belo$8

Charlie Kenzie

th *igure ? 7 @ October sho$s 2009 the Kenya Dome an& the ri!ting that has occurre& &ue to its u li!t) 2t also sho$s its relevance to the creation o! many o! the la#es in that region)

1he $ea#nesses in the crust" cause& by the continental ri!ting" allo$ an easier route !or magma to rise) 1he hot magma in the asthenos here is constantly battling to reach the sur!ace) ,cience e0 lains Mount this rocess &ue to the Nyiragongo &i!!erence in ressure bet$een the sur!ace o! the 6arth an& the asthenos here beneath) 2t is this &i!!usion rocess that causes magma to rise) 2n the case o! Mount Nyiragongo the magma has vente& at the same lace !or thousan&s o! years an& successive eru tions have cause& the !ormation o! the volcano itsel!) 1he constant u li!t o! molten material !orms a s ectacular lava la#e in the crater o! Mount Nyriagongo 7!igure 78) Due to the constructive nature o! the lithos here in the 6ast 4!rican Ri!t the lava that is ro&uce& is 5uite !lui& in com arison to other com osite volcanoes aroun& the $orl&) 4t other com osite volcanoes aroun& the $orl& such as 6tna or *u(i" the lava is o!ten rhyolitic cause& by the sub&uction o! lates) 1he lava ro&uce& at Nyriagongo is a ro&uct o! t$o lates moving a art" more similar to the mi&94tlantic ri&ge" an& is more an&esitic) *or this reason the eru tion o! Nyiragongo is almost constant an& e0 lains the e0istence o! its large lava la#e) Other recent years Mount Nyiragongo has cause& &estruction in the local area &ue to its volcanic activity) 2t is im ortant to un&erline some o! the reasons !or $hy it oses a threat to the surroun&ing environment) Ahereas most lava !lo$s move rather slo$ly an& rarely ose a &anger to human li!e" NyiragongoBs lava !lo$s may race &o$nhill at u to +00 #mCh) 1his is &ue to its !lui& li#e consistency" as e0 laine& above) 2n a&&ition the store o! lava in the lava la#e gave a large volume o! hot material the otential energy to !lo$ very 5uic#ly) 2n +977" the crater $alls !racture&" an& the lava la#e &raine& in less than an hour) 1his is rather li#e ulling the lug out o! a !ull bath o! $ater) 1he lava !lo$e& &o$n the !lan#s o! the volcano at s ee&s o! u to ?0 miles er hour on the u er slo es" over$helming villages an& #illing at least 70 eo le) 2n the eru tion o! 2002 a slightly &i!!erent" but (ust as &estructive" eru tion occurre&) 4 buil& u o! ressure beneath the southern si&e o! Nyiragono lea& to a large eru tion an& the o ening o! a +.#m !issure 7see !igure -8) 1he !lui& lava move& south !rom three vents an& collecte& in one stream o! lava 200 to +000 m $i&e an& u to 2 m &ee ) 1he lava ha& reache& the outs#irts o! the city %oma" 20#m a$ay" in (ust a !e$ hours) 1he constant resence o! the lava la#e an& its continuous activity ma&e it &i!!icult to re&ict e0actly $hen Nyiragongo $as going to eru t)

Charlie Kenzie

7th October 2009

*igure 7 @ 'ava 'a#e at Mount Nyriagongo)

1he eru tion in 2002 ha& long an& short term e!!ects $hich $ere greatly &etrimental to the local area an& es ecially the to$n o! %oma) 2t is in&icative o! ho$ many less &evelo e& countries struggle to recover !rom natural &isasters such as this) *irstly" the short term e!!ects o! the eru tion ma&e it &i!!icult !or the area to recover in the long term) 1o start $ith" the !lo$ o! lava &estroye& the commercial centre o! the to$n) 1his $as the economic hub o! the to$n an& there!ore %oma !oun& it &i!!icult to recover 5uic#ly an& e!!iciently soon a!ter the eru tion) 2n a&&ition" the to$nDs centre !or olitical communication $as lost there!ore ma#ing it more &i!!icult to organise humanitarian ai& an& to regain la$ an& or&er in the to$n) 'ooting !rom aban&one& homes an& commercial ro erties occurre& greatly shortly a!ter the eru tion $hich !urther $ea#ene& the economic an& social stability o! the area) 1he &estruction o! the northern thir& o! the run$ay meant a !urther lac# o! access !or humanitarian ai&) Aater an& o$er su lies $ere also &amage& $hich meant a rise in &iseases such as &ysentery an& a lac# o! sa!e $ater !or in(ure& eo le) 1his $as ma&e $orse by the contamination o! 'a#e Kivu $ith ,ul huric aci& !rom the lava an& loss o! o$er ma&e communications har&er !or the &istribution o! humanitarian ai&) 1he 5uic# movement o! environmental re!ugees to R$an&a" a country alrea&y ri!e $ith civil $ar an& olitical instability" cause& ma(or roblems in rovi&ing !oo& an& shelter in this small country) 4s $ell as lava !lo$s" ash an& &ust cause& eye an& res iratory roblems many cases o! $hich coul& not be treate& &ue to the oor con&ition o! the

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Charlie Kenzie

7th October 2009

re!ugee cam s an& the loss o! me&ical centres in the to$n o! %oma) 2n com arison to a volcanic eru tion in a more &evelo e& country" there $ere no su!!icient !un&s to try an& &ivert the !lo$ o! lava aroun& the city or to try an& &ecrease the e!!ects o! the eru tion) %oma ha& !oun& itsel! olitical" socially an& economically unstable even be!ore the event $hich hin&ere& its recovery even more) 1he area surroun&ing Mount Nyiragongo ha& been sub(ect to intense civil $ar an& violence since +99- in $hat $as calle& the ,econ& Congo Aar $hich en&e& in 2002) 1he con!lict involve& the violence bet$een Eutu an& 1utsi rivalries an& Fgan&an an& R$an&an !orces) Over <)/ million eo le &ie& in the con!lict" as $ell as the ma(ority o! animals in the region) R$an&an troo s !inally le!t 6astern Congo in 2002" leaving a $a#e o! &isease an& malnutrition that continue& to #ill an estimate& /<"000 eo le every month) 6ven be!ore the eru tion" the Democratic Re ublic o! Congo 7!ormally Gaire8 $as having e0treme olitical an& economic issues) 4!ter the eru tion no stable government $as in lace to &eal e!!ectively an& e!!iciently $ith the roblem an& the country ha& no money to rebuil& an& recover 5uic#ly) Holitical tensions $ith R$an&a at the time $oul& also have ma&e negotiations !or the tem orary accommo&ation o! thousan&s o! re!ugees more &i!!icult) 2n the long term" R$an&an rebels have continue& to o erate until resent &ay in the northeast Congo an& Kivu regions" ma#ing long term rebuil&ing o! the to$n increasingly &i!!icult olitically an& economically) 1he Democratic Re ublic o! Congo is one o! the oorest countries" a %DH er ca ita HHH o! (ust I.00" in the $orl& an& there!ore the !un&s nee&e& to rebuil& the city are har& to !in&) 1he &estruction o! the commercial centre an& the air ort meant that the economic base o! the area ha& been very seriously &amage&) 2n a&&ition" it is unli#ely that many inhabitants $ere able to claim com ensation !or the &estruction o! their homes or ro erty" leaving many eo le homeless) 2n conclusion" it is evi&ent that Mount Nyiragongo is at times a very &estructive volcano) 2t is a uni5ue volcano in the ty e o! lava that is emitte&) 1he lava has great !lui&ity" can travel at great s ee&s an& be very &estructive) Eo$ever" the e!!ects o! the eru tions !rom Mount Nyiragongo coul& have been greatly re&uce& i! the Democratic Re ublic o! Congo ha& greater olitical an& economic stability) Aithout the hel o! humanitarian ai&" it is li#ely that many more eo le $oul& have &ie&)

*igure ?

Charlie Kenzie

7th October 2009

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