Nyiragongo eruption 2002

• Immediate responses of the Nyiragongo eruption 2002


  400,000 people were evacuated from their homes to avoid the lava.

  The United Nations sent 260 tonnes of food to the affected area within a week of the eruption. Families received 26 kg of rations each.

  UK Oxfam sent 33 tonnes of water-cleansing equipment for 50,000 people in refugee camps. The £150,000 package mainly contained water purification kits to provide clean water for drinking and sanitation.

  Governments around the world gave $35 million in aid to support refugees.
• What was the scale of VEI, population of the area, date

  and type of volcano at the Nyiragongo eruption DRC 2002?

  • VEI =1
  • Goma = 460,000 people
  • Divergent plate boundary the volcano is a limnic volcano so there is basaltic lava which means that eruptions are non-explosive, with a low viscosity
  • 17th January 2002
• Long term responses of the Nyiragongo eruption 2002


  • Volcanic observatory centre funded to mitigate for future eruptions 
  • Scientists go on trips twice a month to observe the volcano for activity - however scientists can be robbed by local people 
  • Businesses regenerating - population growing as quality of life improves 
  •  Teaching about the volcano in schools and communities - evacuation drills and leaflets distributed to people
  • Volcanologists will probably be able to predict another eruption 3 weeks before at The Observatoire Volcanologique de Goma .
• Secondary impacts of the Nyiragongo eruption 2002


  • Toxic gases released cause acid rain which damaged farmland
  • People have to drink this water because they have no other choice
  • Around 147 people died from suffocation by CO2 or buildings collapsing due to the lava and earthquakes
  • 2 of the city's 4 hospitals covered by Lava

  People had to restart businesses

  Refugee camps were overcrowded as many of the 120,000 homeless could not afford to rebuild their homes.

  After people evacuated Goma, looting broke out
• Primary impacts of the Nyiragongo eruption 2002


  • Lava flows headed towards the town of Goma
  • Less than 5 minutes to evacuate
  • 200 deaths the majority were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from the eruption (this continues to be a threat today).
  • 20% of the homes in Goma destroyed
  • Parts of city covered by 3 metres of lava
  • Volcano releases toxic gases constantly (limnic Volcano)
  • 80% of the airstrips at Goma International Airport were covered in lava
  • The lava flows destroyed crops, and many livestock were killed
• What was the cause and geology of the Nyiragongo eruption 2002


  • very low silica composition results in eruptions with unusually fluid flows.
  • Stratovolcano - The volcano is active because it sits above the point where the African plate is moving apart on the great African Rift Valley
  • Months of increased earthquake and steam/gas eruptions (fumaroles). This resulted in a 13 km fissure opening on the south flank of the volcano. Lava exited from 3 points on the fissure and moved in a stream 200 to 1000 m wide and up to 2 m deep through Goma.