GLOBAL VOLCANISM: "What Did You Do To The Mountain" - Rumbling Africa Volcano Nyiragongo Has Goma Observatory Experts Concerned!

Nyirangongo volcano in new phase of activity.
© The Weather Network

April 11, 2016 - CONGO - The question I keep getting when I tell people that I jumped into Nyiragongo, an active volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo is: "What did you do to the mountain!?"

It's an odd question, but it makes sense when you realize that Nyiragongo is suddenly undergoing a new, more active phase. And it's got the volcanologists at the Goma Observatory worried.

New activity in the crater over the last few weeks has spurred the scientists into action as a new vent has opened up on the ledge just above the lava lake. This was preceded by a series of earthquakes that knocked large rocks off the crater walls that I had only recently scaled.

The ledge that the vent opened on is the one that I didn't make it down to, but the rest of the team did. However, I did stand directly above the area in which it opened, but, at the time, I took no notice of the nondescript ground far below me. I had zero inkling that less then 10 days after I left, magma would boil out of a newly formed crack in the earth.

The vent has formed on the side of the caldera closest to the city of Goma at the base of the mountain. In addition, new fumoroles (gas and steam vents) have opened up on the flank of the volcano close to where lava erupted in the 2002 eruption. In that eruption, 147 people lost their lives and over a third of Goma was destroyed.

The eruption was not explosive like Mount St. Helens, but instead, effusive like Mount Kilauea in Hawaii. During the eruption of Nyiragongo, lava flowed down the slopes from cracks in the side of the mountain at speeds that reached 100 km/h. The chemical composition of the rock makes the lava extremely liquid.

The concern right now is that this active phase could be a signal that a new eruption is imminent.

Since the 2002 eruption, the city has expanded, but still lacks basic infrastructure that would allow quick evacuation. Goma simply is not a city that can be evacuated fast.

When I was there, only a few roads were fully paved and those were within the city core. The sprawling conglomeration of tin roofed shacks and cinder block buildings stretched haphazardly in every direction. Despite the efforts to rebuild the city after the long civil war, it is functional but struggling. Evacuation is simply not an option. This is why observation and early warning are critical to survival in the city.

The proximity of the city to the mountain is why Nyiragongo has been declared a Decade Volcano. These are 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. Essentially, it's a list of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet.

The greater danger lurks under the water of Lake Kivu. Goma sprawls out along the northern shore of the lake and deep in its depths is a massive amount of carbon dioxide that is slowly building thanks to the volcano.

Think of it like a pop bottle with the top on. Open it up and a bit of gas may fizz up. Now, shake that bottle and pop the top. The resulting eruption of gas and liquid will end up soaking the room and you.

Lake Kivu is similar, only on a far more vast scale. The weight of the water above the gas-saturated deep layers acts as a top, keeping the gas in solution. However, if the concentration of carbon dioxide builds to a critical level, it could all come out of the lake at once.

This isn't likely to happen any time soon as the concentration is still too low. The danger is disturbance. If the volcano erupts and lava makes it to the lake, an eruption of the gas, known as a limnic eruption, could take place. That eruption would spill titanic amounts of carbon dioxide into the areas around the lake and potentially kill hundreds of thousands of people.


WATCH: Top 5 most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

It is an eerie feeling to see these pictures of the Nyiragongo crater and realize that I was standing on a volcano that was mere moments from stirring to life. And a terrifying feeling that I may end up returning to a city that is slowly being engulfed in a new eruption of burning, liquid rock. - The Weather Network.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Mount Nyiragongo In Congo Showing Signs Of Imminent Eruption - Aircrafts Cautioned Against Flying Over The Volcano!

 Mount Nyiragongo's lava lake has at times been the most voluminous known lava lake in recent history

March 25, 2016 - CONGO - Rwanda Red Cross has warned of a possible Nyiragongo volcano eruption in the near future, the country's daily The New Times has reported.

Nyiragongo is one of the eight volcanic mountains in the Virunga Massif. The volcano is located near the town of Goma in eastern DR Congo, close to the Rwandan border.

Press reports from Kigali, indicate that local researchers have reported that that since February 28, 2016 Nyiragongo volcano increased signs of imminent eruption.
The New Times quoted, Dr Dyrckx Dushime, the head of Red Cross in Rubavu District, saying that the active volcano has recently released magma from one hole to another of two kilometers that form smoke on the top of it.

He explained that the volcano now releases polluted gas in the air between 5000 and 50,000 tonnes, per day which include a lot of sand.

Although he said people should not panic, he however cautioned aircrafts against flying over the volcano for fear of engine damage.

Dushime also warned residents in neighbouring areas against using unclean water, especially from rain and to wash vegetables before cooking.

The newspaper also reported that Rwanda's Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs' personnel were monitoring developments in the Virunga Massif

The Nyiragongo volcano last erupted in 2002, causing a lot of damage in both countries and displacing about 400,000 people. - New Vision.

 

WAR ON MOTHER NATURE: Rare Breed Of Giraffe Hunted To The Brink Of EXTINCTION In The Congo - With Just 38 Left In Reserve!

The Congolese giraffe has been hunted to the brink of extinction because of its high price. Getty

February 28, 2016 - CONGO - The Kordofan giraffe is teetering on the edge of extinction because its meat commands such a high price, according to conservationists.

A single giraffe can produce up to 270 kilograms of meat, enough to feed an army of poachers for weeks, experts have said.

The distinctive spotted skin is used for luxury goods and carries a high price tag in a country where per capita income is less than $230.

Aimé Balimbaki, the head of research and monitoring at Garamba National Park, says that just 34 adult giraffes survive split between two herds, with four young calves between them.

He told the Times: “At the moment the ratio is one male to 2.4 females, which is still sustainable.

"But if we have bad luck or if there is a serious menace – even if we lose just five giraffes – then the population may no longer be viable”.

Balimaki added that desperate refugees fleeing the bloody conflict in South Sudan often resorted to killing the giraffes for food.

A giraffe can produce up to 270 kilograms of meat, enough to feed an army of poachers for weeks. Getty

Just 34 adult giraffes survive split between two herds, with four young calves between them. Getty

He said: “If more refugees arrive, or if there are political problems here and people come into the park to destroy the giraffe then we will lose them completely”.

Park officials have warned that if they lose just five more giraffes, the population may no longer be sustainable on its own.

Noëlle Kümpel of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said: “Giraffes – like elephants, rhinos, and the like –have been picked off by poachers to feed the illegal wildlife trade and impoverished local people.

“At the same time, their habitat has been severely and, in many areas, irreparably degraded, leaving very few trees left to sustain even this small population of giraffe.”

She said that the remaining giraffes – which live in two small herds – are forced to to travel “incredibly long distances” to find food.

African parks with assistance of the Giraffes Conservation Foundation have now fitted eight of the animals with GPS radio collars to keep track of their whereabouts.

The UK based Charity Spots and Stripes, are in contact with both African Parks and The Giraffe Foundation with the intention of assisting.

A spokeswoman said: "t is heartbreaking that this has not gained the media attention it so deserves. To have a population of only 38 Giraffe's remaining in the Congo is a disaster for both the species and for conservation." - Express.

INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: The Effects Of Magnetic Polar Migration - The Latest Incidents Of Plane Crashes Across The Globe! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

Plane crashes in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Credit: Donat Muamba

December 25, 2015 - EARTH - Here are the latest incidents of plane crashes across the planet over the last few days.

7 killed as cargo jet crash-lands in Mbuji-Mayi, Congo

At least seven people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a large cargo plane overshot the runway at an airport and struck a number of homes, officials say.The accident happened at about 4 p.m. local time on Thursday when an Airbus A310 belonging to Services Air attempted to land at an airport in the city of Mbuji-Mayi and overshot the runway, causing it to plow through a residential area near the airport and striking several homes.

Mbuji-Mayi, which is the capital of Kasai-Oriental province, is located in the country's south-central region and is about 942 kilometers (585 miles) southeast of the capital Kinshasa.

Kasai-Oriental Governor Ngoyi Kasanji told the AFP news agency that at least seven people had been killed in the crash-landing, all of whom lived in homes near the airport. The four crew members who were on board the cargo plane escaped without injury.

A source told Radio Okapi that the accident followed two failed landing attempts, after which the aircraft landed in the middle of the runway and was unable to stop in time. As a result, the plane overshot the runway and came to a stop about 500 meters (546 yards) beyond the end of the runway. - BNO News.

Two Seriously Hurt in Mississippi Plane Crash-Landing

Two passengers were seriously hurt when a small plane crash-landed next to a home in northern Mississippi Thursday morning, according to local NBC affiliate WTVA.

The plane went down shortly after takeoff from Roscoe Turner Airport in the city of Corinth, near the Tennessee border, investigators told the station.

According to officials, a plane crash happened on County Road 504, Alcorn County, Mississippi. WTVA

A family flying to meet friends for Christmas have been injured after the private plane (wreckage pictured) they were travelling in crash landed in Mississippi. WTVA

Emergency personnel work a plane crash in Alcorn County following an early morning incident Thursday. WTVA

Four people were on board; two were airlifted from the scene with serious injuries. The other two were taken to a hospital for observation, according to WTVA.

The cause of the crash-landing is under investigation. - NBC.

Indian Paramilitary plane crashes, killing all 10 aboard

The ceremony was held at Safdarjung Airport. There was huge fire seen in the area after the crash, as per an eyewitness.

“This is worrying, for us and everyone who is associated with this wing”.

“Why are old aircraft being used and lives of troops put at risk?” was one of the questions faced by Singh.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Riiju said, “The Dwarka incident is a tragedy”. I visited family members.

The impact of the crash was so severe, hardly any part of the aircraft, a twin-engine Super King B-200, was left to be salvaged, even as teams from police, CISF and disaster management rummaged through the debris.

The Superking was inducted in 1994-95 in the border guarding force for air support roles. I travel in that only.

 Police officials and ambulances at the crash site near Delhi airport in Dwarka where a BSF Super King plane has gone down (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

The plane, he said, was carrying the stipulated load yesterday and refuted reports that the crash had something to do with excess weight as a few personnel were asked to board it at the last moment.

Shivrain’s wife Seema said her husband was flying an “outdated aircraft” and that she was proud that he did not shy away from his duty anytime.

“There was no problem in the aircraft and it was completely airworthy”.

A paramilitary plane crashed into a wall and burst into flames just outside an Indian airport, killing all 10 people on board, officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pain at the loss of lives, saying: “Pained by the loss of lives in the BSF plane crash in Delhi”.


WATCH: BSF plane crashes near Dwarka - 10 people killed.

The aircraft misplaced touch with the Air traffic manipulate, at 9.50 am, they said. BSF sources had said the technicians were on the way to Ranchi to fix a helicopter.

“Within seconds, the plane hit the boundary wall and fell into the water body of the airport’s sewage treatment plant”.

“The choppers are required to cater to the increasing usage and role of security forces deployed along hard border areas and in the internal security grid”, a senior official said. “Why it took that left turn is a subject matter of inquiry”, it said. - TV Newsroom.

Small plane crash lands in a field north of Tronson Road, British Columbia, Canada

Photo: Kate Bouey

RCMP say two men aboard a small plane that crash landed in a field north of Tronson Road Wednesday afternoon are okay.

The plane was leaving the airport when it suffered engine trouble, said Cst. Richard Lausman, who was at the scene of the crash.

The pilot tried but failed to land at the airport and took the aircraft down in a field.

Lausman said an adult father and son were on board the plane. He could not say if they were from the Vernon area.

He said neither man suffered serious injuries.

A City of Vernon release stated the two-seater aircraft was 300 feet in the air when it experienced mechanical difficulties shortly after takeoff around 3:30 p.m.

The plane sustained damage to the landing gear and one wing upon landing.

One person suffered minor injuries. - Castanet.

Small plane out of El Paso crash lands in Colorado

A small twin-engine aircraft carrying seven people crashed as it landed and struck a snowplow on a closed runway at Telluride Airport Wednesday afternoon. There were no reported injuries but the incident triggered a multi-agency response including multiple San Miguel Sheriff’s Office Deputies and more than a dozen Telluride Fire Protection District Fire, EMS and HAZMAT personnel.

The Hawker Beechjet 400, registered out of Mexico, originated out of El Paso with five passengers and two crewmembers on board when it landed at 2:15 p.m. (MT), struck a snowplow, and slid off the runway.

Images from San Miguel County via ElPasoProud.com

Images from San Miguel County via ElPasoProud.com

Airport officials told Sheriff Deputies the runway was closed for snow removal maintenance at the time of the landing, and airport FBO (Fixed Base Operator) reportedly did not receive any radio communication from the pilot prior to the aircraft’s landing.

An airport employee told Sheriff’s Deputies he was driving the snowplow when it was struck from behind and said he never saw the plane coming. He estimated the speed of the aircraft to be around 100 mph at the time of impact. He, too, was uninjured.

Broken snow showers were in the area at the time of the crash, but visibility was at least 7 miles, and wind was not believed to be a factor.

San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said, “We had rapid response from multiple agencies to ensure scene safety and initiate any appropriate interventions needed. We were pleased all occupants walked away uninjured.”

Telluride Fire Protection District Chief John Bennett said, “This is what we all train for, and we were glad we didn’t have a more critical situation two days before Christmas.”

The National Transportation Safety Administration (NTSB) will be investigating the incident. - Everything Lubbock.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: NASA Captures Birds-Eye View Of Two African Volcanoes - Researchers Say The Increased Lava And Seismic Activity Inside The Calderas Means Another Eruption Or Fissure Is Likely In The Near Future!

NASA captures a color image of two of Africa's most active volcanoes. Photo by NASA/Landsat/Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen

February 15, 2015 - CONGO, AFRICA - Don't look down. NASA's Landsat 8 satellite has captured impressive color imagery of Africa's Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo volcanoes from a nauseating elevation of 440 miles above Earth's surface.

The images, captured by the observatory's Operational Land Imager, feature two smoke plumes rising and being blown to the southwest by the winds in the mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Nyamuragira is one of Africa's most active volcanoes, and the new images -- captured Feb. 9 -- show that a small but vigorously bubbling lake of lava has formed in the volcano's caldera. Nyamuragira's caldera features walls that rise roughly 330 feet high. Scientists first confirmed the lava lake's presence last year via satellite images and helicopter flyovers.

NASA captures a color image of one of Africa's most active volcanoes. Photo by NASA/Landsat/Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen

In 1938, a large fissure atop Nyamuragira allowed lava from its lake to drain, flowing all the way to Lake Kivu, several dozen miles south. More recently, the volcano has erupted, spewing lava in 2010 and 2011. But it wasn't until last year that its caldera began to refill with lava.

To the south is Nyamuragira's twin, Nyiragongo, which boasts the largest lava lake on the planet. Nyiragongo is one of the world's few volcanoes to sustain a lava lake for several decades. While the piping hot lake of lava mostly just smolders, the volcano has erupted twice in the last century, each time with deadly consequences.

NASA captures a color image of one of Africa's most active volcanoes. Photo by NASA/Landsat/Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen

In 1977, lava raced down the volcano's slopes at more than 60 mph. The lava enveloped parts of several nearby villages, killing at least 70 people. In 2002, another erupting and subsequent lava flow killed 147 people (most from carbon dioxide asphyxiation) and forced thousands to evacuate from the nearby city of Goma.

Researchers say the increased lava and seismic activity inside the calderas means another eruption or fissure is likely in the near future. With Nyamuragira's lava lake continuing to grow, officials in the DRC are already considering evacuation plans for Goma. - UPI.

MONUMENTAL DELUGE: Floodlist – The Latest Reports Of High Tides, Heavy Rainfall, Flash Floods, Widespread Flooding, Sea Level Rise, And Catastrophic Storms!

Flam, Norway, October 2014. Photo: Arne Sandvold / twitter

October 30, 2014 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms courtesy of Floodlist.

100s Evacuated after Major Flooding in Western Norway

After 2 days of heavy rainfall, parts of western Norway suffered major flooding after rivers overflowed in the counties of Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland late on Tuesday 28 October 2014. Heavy rain has also continued to affect parts of Rogaland county.

Initial reports suggest that Odda and Voss in Hordaland and Flåm, Laerdal, Årdal and Stryn in Sogn og Fjordane have been the worst affected.

The heavy rainfall has also led to avalanches in some areas of western Norway.

Sogn og Fjordane

Flåm

200 people in lower Flåm in West Norway were evacuated on Tuesday evening after the Flåm river river burst its banks. River levels are expected to remain high for the next few days. All the roads to Flåm were flooded and the town was cut off for some time. Bridges and tunnels have also been either damaged or blocked.

Laerdal

A total of 29 people have been evacuated from their homes in Laerdal after flooding struck in the area. A further 41 people left without road connection as a result of flood damage.

Årdal

Local media say that the municipality of Årdal has also suffered major flooding, forcing 20 people to evacuate.

Stryn

Flooding and landslides have blocked roads in the Stryn area. It is unkown whether any houses have been damaged as local authorities have not yet been able to carry out a full assessent of damage.

Hordaland County

Odda

Around 50 people had to be evacuated from their homes on Odda on tuesday after heavy rain caused flash floods and the local river to overflow. Local media say that as many as 5 houses along the river have been completely destroyed.

Voss

The Norwegian Meterorlogical Service issued a red flood warning for the Voss area yesterday after concern over levels of the rivers and lakes in the area. Local media today are reporting that the town has seen some flooding which has caused severe damage and left several houses under water.

Rainfall Figures

Rainfall figures for western Norway from WMO for 24 hours between 28 and 29 October 2014:
Mjolfjell (near Voss, Hordaland) – 66.9 mm
Stryn (Sogn og Fjordane) – 67.3 mm
Sauda (Rogaland)- 68.0 mm


WATCH: Floods in Norway.

Floods in Democratic Republic of Congo Leave at Least 30 Dead

At least 30 people have been killed by recent flooding and landslides in the Democratic Republic of Congo with many more thought to be still missing.

The disaster struck in Kalehe Territory in South Kivu province after 3 days of heavy rain. The village of Bushushu is said to be the worst hit. Local media say that other villages in the area, including Rambira, Nyambasha and Nyamukubi have also been badly affected.

With so many still missing, there are fears that the floods and landslides may have killed over 100 people. Bodies are buried under landslide rubble or have been swept away on flood torrents, possibly as far as Lake Kivu, where local fishermen are assisting with the search. Hundreds of homes and other buildings, as well as bridges and roads in and around the village have been damaged or destroyed by flood or landslides.

File photo: River in South Kivu. Photo: EU/ECHO/Damien Blanc

Search and rescue operations are being carried out but are hampered by difficult conditions. Representatives from the UN and Red Cross are working in the area.

According to MISNA:

South Kivu’s civil protection have recovered seven bodies and reported 100 injured and 112 still missing. A higher toll was reported by Jean Chrisostome Kijana, president of South Kivu’s civil society, indicating that the flooding has left at least 50 dead and dozens missing.

To make matters worse, violent militia have been threatening local communities in the area. Local media report that 100s of people have fled their homes in the last few days in Shabunda territory of South Kivu because of clashes between Raïa Mutomboki militia factions.

At least 4 people died in flooding in North Kivu and elsewhere earlier this month. There was also some flooding in South Kivu during May 2014 when the River Mutambala overflowed.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Satellite Spies Congo's Nyiragongo Volcano - Could Warn Of Eruption!

June 11, 2014 - CONGO, AFRICA - Italian scientists have successfully used data from an orbiting satellite six miles above the Earth to measure the temperature, thickness and volume of the lava in a fiery lake inside the 11,400-foot summit of the Nyiragongo volcano at in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They say the technique could be used to monitor volcanoes in remote spots across the planet.

Photo: The lava lake bubbling inside Nyiragongo. Credit: Cai Tjeenk Willink, via Wikimedia Commons.

The researchers, from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Catania, Italy, compared data collected from space by Meteosat, a weather satellite operated by a European research consortium.

The information was collected by an instrument called the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI), and it matched the results from data collected by a ground-based thermal camera.Their methods are detailed in this article in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

The lava temperature inside Nyiragongo’s lake can reach 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The researchers previously used the same method in 2011 to measure the temperature of a lava fountain inside Mount Etna in Italy, but this was the first time the Congolese volcano had been measured from space. The ability to monitor Nyiragongo and spot an eruption early is important because the city of Goma and its million inhabitants are just 7.5 miles away.

Amazingly, intrepid researchers actually have climbed the volcano and visited the lava lake. Back in 1960, documentary filmmaker Haroun Tazieff made a a documentary, The Devil’s Blast, that revealed for the first time the glowing inferno. In 2010, the summit was visited by a team that included photographer Olivier Grunewald, who got to within a few feet of the lake to take these close-up images. - Discovery News.

INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Train Crash In The Democratic Republic Of Congo - At Least 63 Killed, 80 Seriously Injured!

April 26, 2014 - CONGO - At least 63 people were killed and 80 seriously injured when a train exceeding the speed limit derailed going round a bend in Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, a local minister said.

Reuters / Goran Tomasevic

Fifty more people remain trapped inside the train after the accident, according to Reuters. A rescue team is working on the scene.

On Tuesday, 12 carriages of the goods train derailed near Likasi, a mining town between the cities of Lubumbashi and Kolwezi in the copper and cobalt-rich southeast Katanga province.

"Evidently the train was going too fast, the driver came to a curve and had to break suddenly leading to the accident," said Dikanga Kazadi, Katanga's interior minister.

A team has been sent to investigate the causes of the accident.

There are no Russian citizens among the victims, Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

In 2007 over 100 people were killed in a similar accident involving a goods train in the southern province of Kasai-Occidental.

The country's infrastructure is in poor condition due to years of civil wars and neglect of funding. Because of a First Congo War in 1996-97 the railway system was not functioning from 1998 until June 2004. During the war 500 kilometers of railway in the provinces of Maniema and Katanga were destroyed. Despite foreign support, Congo Railway Company (CNC) was on the brink of collapse in 2010. In June 2010 the World Bank gave Congo a US$ 255 million grant in order to refurbish the railway system.  - RT.

INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Boat Capsize In Lake Albert, Uganda - 107 Bodies Found, Including 57 Children!

March 26, 2014 - UGANDA - Rescue workers in Uganda have so far recovered 107 bodies, including those of 57 children, after a boat capsized on Saturday on Lake Albert, a government minister has said.

Civilians have been involved in rescue operations.

The boat was taking refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo back to their home country when it capsized.

It had a capacity to carry only 80 passengers, but up to 250 people were on board, officials said.

Boat accidents are common in Uganda because of poor safety standards.

Boats are often overloaded and do not carry life jackets.

'Deeply shocked'

Uganda's Refugees Minister Hillary Onek said the police, the military's marine units and civilian fishing boats were all involved in rescue operations.

The 107 bodies recovered so far included 57 children, he said.

"The exact number of passengers on board has yet to be established," Mr Onek added.

On Monday, the UN high commissioner for refugees Antonio Guterres said he was deeply shocked by the disaster.

"My thoughts are with those who have lost dear ones, and the survivors," he said in a statement.

"I am grateful to the government and other actors who have mounted a rescue-and-recovery operation and are assisting the survivors.''

The boat was one of two which left on Saturday from Uganda's Hoima district on the eastern side of the lake, which lies on the border with DR Congo.

The boats were carrying refugees who had been living at a camp in Uganda, and had decided to return to eastern DR Congo of their own accord, the UNHCR said. - BBC.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Global Volcanism - Strong And Very Dangerous Earthquake Strikes Volcanic Region Of The Congo!

December 01, 2013 - CONGO - This is a very dangerous earthquake basically because of the combination magnitude and shallow depth. The epicenter was located in the eastern volcanic area of the DR Congo. M5.4 for a shallow quake is damaging level in this area of the world.

As the distance to major towns is rather big (also to Rwanda and Burundi), the earthquake may not have been felt so far (no mentions from this otherwise very communicative area). Smaller villages and settlements (Like Bikule and Mukingiti, only a few km from the epicenter are however at risk.

The epicenter is also Gorilla nature area (Maiko National Park) and has a number of dormant volcanoes in the area. More to the east are some active volcanoes. This is also a location where rebels are fighting the army, this already for many years and with very cruel atrocities going on (HRW reports).

Even if some damage has been inflicted, we will probably never know it, as the area is highly unsafe with almost no press present. We will however scan reports from the area to get some more information, eventually from environmentalists and conservationists (gorillas). - Earthquake Report.

INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Boat Accident In Nigeria Leaves 42 Dead, 100 Missing!

September 29, 2013 - NIGERIA - At least 42 people drowned and 100 went missing when a Nigerian ferry overloaded with passengers and goods broke up in stormy weather on the Niger River, emergency officials report.

After the Nile and the Congo, the Niger River is the principal river of western Africa.

The head of the State Emergency Management Agency, Mohammed Shaba, said the boat split in two after it left Malilli village in Niger state on Friday.

"As of now, we have lost 42 and 100 are missing," he said.

Calling the accident the deadliest one in recent years, Shaba added, "We are going to learn a lesson from this”.

While he blamed overloading as the main cause of the accident, he said that the vessel was packed with far too many traders as well as the goods they had acquired from a market in Malilli.

Covering the accident, Nigerian local media said the boat had an estimated capacity of 60 people.

Meanwhile, the state's police chief, Diseye Nsirim, told that initial reports indicated the boat hit a large object, possibly a tree trunk, which the pilot failed to see.

Earlier In March, nearly 100 people perished when a passenger boat that set off from neighboring Benin capsized off Nigeria's Southern Cross Rivers State.

Passenger boats in more remote areas in Nigeria are often poorly maintained and sometimes incapable of navigating stormy waters.

But operators with narrow profit margins normally try to cram on board an excessive number of passengers to increase their income.

After the Nile and the Congo, the Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about 4,180 kilometers (2,600 miles). - Press TV.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: NASA Satellite Detects Large Plume From DR Congo's Nyamuragira Volcano!

July 19, 2013 - DR CONGO - Recent NASA satellite images from 11 June 2013 show a thick steam and gas plume rising from a pit crater in the summit caldera of Nyamuragira volcano.

No evidence of lava close to the surface was found, while the lava lake in neighboring Nyiragongo remains well active and visible on the same images. Nyamuragira’s plume was rich in water vapor — which condenses rapidly in the humid tropical air — and sulfur dioxide, which lends a blue tint in natural-color satellite imagery.

Carbon dioxide, fluorine, and chlorine gas are also found in Nyamuragira lavas and likely present in the gas plume. Located near the eastern boundary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nyamuragira is one of Africa’s most active volcanoes.

If degassing magma was near the surface, then the intense heat would cause a bright red glow in shortwave infrared light. No such glow is visible atop Nyamuragira, but it is present on neighboring Nyiragongo Volcano, which has featured a lava lake for more than a decade.

The images were collected on June 11, 2013, by the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8. In natural color (top), the rainforest is dark green, clouds are white, and the sulfur-rich volcanic plume is very light blue. Barren land at Nyamuragira’s summit and lava flows is brown or black.

In false-color, clouds are mostly white and volcanic plumes are cyan. Forest and other vegetation is bright green. Fresh lava flows from the 2011–12 eruption of Nyamuragira are black, and older lava flows appear as brown tendrils running down the mountain’s flanks. Agricultural fields in the southeast (lower right) corner of the image also appear brown. - Volcano Discovery.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Congo's Conflict Masks A Very Deadly Volcano Threat - Over One Million Living Under The Threat Of Mount Nyiragongo Volcano!

June 06, 2013 - CONGO - Eleven years after an eruption of Mount Nyiragongo devastated the sprawling lakeside city of Goma, killing hundreds of people, eastern Congo's armed conflict is preventing scientists from predicting the volcano's next deadly explosion.

With its plume of ash and steam reaching high into the sky, the brooding Nyiragongo is one of the world's most active volcanoes and a constant menace to the city of 1 million people, whose streets are still scarred by solidified lava.

A general view of a permanent lava lake in the Mount Nyiragongo volcano's crater, 25km (16 miles) from Goma, April 29, 2009. REUTERS/Celestine Kasereka/Observatoire Volcanogique de Goma via IFRC/Handout

Attempts to monitor the volcano's activity have been dangerously curtailed by the M23 rebel group which has controlled its lush, forested slopes for the past year.

Observation equipment has been looted by armed groups and the area around Nyiragongo is off-limits as rebel fighters defend their strategic positions overlooking Goma.

"What happened in 2002 will happen again. We just don't know when," Celestin Kasereka Mahinda, a vulcanologist at the Goma observatory and head of a national committee charged with planning for natural disasters.

Kasereka and his colleagues gave two months' warning before the last eruption but authorities ignored them. People only began to evacuate as the first fingers of lava probed their way into the town's densely populated residential areas.

Goma's airport is still surrounded by lava blocs as big as cars, excavated after the runway was swallowed by molten rock.

Kasereka used to conduct weekly checks on Nyiragongo, one of only three volcanoes in the world to have a permanent lava lake.

"Surveillance is very reduced so the risk has become very big," he aid. "The situation is a bit ridiculous."

PREFER REBELS TO ERUPTION

Goma's residents are no strangers to danger, natural and manmade. The town sits above a subterranean lava bed 1 km (0.6 miles) deep in an area, known as the Albertine rift, that is one of the most volcanically active on earth.

Neighbouring Lake Kivu contains enormous quantities of methane and carbon dioxide. Experts say seismic activity could release that into the atmosphere, threatening millions of lives.

The makeshift camps which ring the city, home to tens of thousands of people displaced by fighting, testify to the nearly two decades of conflict between armed groups, the army and neighbouring countries which have ravaged the region.

Militia fighters regularly inflict massacres and mass rapes on the civilian population. Last year, rebels swept past U.N. peacekeepers and routed government troops to briefly seize Goma, and they once again menace the town's north flank.

"We'd prefer gunfire to another eruption," said Aminata Yahaya, 38. She barely escaped with her children last time the volcano exploded and returned three weeks later to find her home ravaged by fire and looted.

Speaking in one of Goma's ramshackle markets built on an old lava flow, where she sells dried fish, Yahaya said the last eruption had devastated the town.

"If there's another eruption, it'll hit the economy: we'll have to start from zero again. Our houses will be destroyed, our people killed," she said.

Joseph Makundi, civil protection co-ordinator for Goma, accepts that the security situation has increased the volcano's threat. Not least, he says, is the risk of lava exploding the stockpiles of ammunition which dot the heavily militarised town.

In the worst case scenario, authorities would have to evacuate around two-thirds of Goma's inhabitants, he says. Community networks and a flag system - green for safe, red for evacuation - have been put in place for that purpose.

Before the last eruption there were signs from communities around the volcano that something was amiss, Makundi says.

Villagers found their banana beer fermenting far more quickly because of raised ground temperatures and children left alone were asphyxiated by poisonous gases. Makundi says residents must be alert for these kinds of warnings.

"We must develop an evacuation mechanism without counting too much on the volcanic observatory," he says. "Our logistical capacity to put our plans in place is limited."

Observers say Nyiragongo is not immediately threatening. However, neighbouring Nyamuragira, 13 km (8 miles) to the northwest and reputedly Africa's most active volcano, is showing warning signs of a possible eruption.

The Volcano Hotel is an eerie reminder of the mountains' threat. The bottom half of the building has been cocooned in solidified lava, turning what was once the ground floor into the basement, with jagged rocks obscuring the light.

Cancild Sadiki Muhindi, the hotel's owner, spent more than a year excavating the lower floor to reclaim it from the lava. But she knows she may well lose it all and has little faith that Congo's government will be of much help.

"State, what state? The situation in this country is we don't have a state," she says with a shrug. "The volcano, it's a real problem for me, and my business." - TRUST.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Large-Scale Industrial Poaching - Central Africa Elephant Population Down 62% In Ten Years; Nearly 5,000 Lost Between 2009 And 2011?!

April 28, 2013 - CENTRAL AFRICA - Poaching on an "industrial" scale has slashed the elephant population in the countries of central Africa by nearly two-thirds, a group of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) said on Friday.

A Kenya Wildlife Services ranger stands guard in front of an illegal ivory stockpile in Nairobi on July 20, 2011. Poaching on an "industrial" scale has slashed the elephant population in the countries of central Africa by nearly two-thirds, a group of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) said on Friday.

"A recent study shows that the population of forest elephants has dropped by almost two-thirds or 62 percent in the past 10 years, victims of large-scale ivory poaching," the group of eight NGOs said in a statement.

"The situation is dramatic and worrying. It's very dangerous," Jerome Mokoko, assistant director of the Wildlife Conservation Society, told reporters at a news conference in Brazzaville.

"Nearly 5,000 elephants have been lost in the northern zone of Congo between 2009 and 2011," said Mokoko.

He added there were 80,000 elephants in the Central African Republic just 30 years ago but their number has been reduced to just a few thousand.

"The Democratic Republic of Congo alone is home to 70 percent of the elephant population of central Africa. But now there are only between 7,000 and 10,000 elephants in the DRC," Mokoko said.

Jules Caron, head of communications for the World Wildlife Fund in central Africa, said the elephant poaching situation had changed "dramatically."

"We are no longer talking about small-scale poaching but poaching on an industrial scale, all run by highly organised and well-armed gangs of international criminals," added Caron.

The NGOs said poachers were seizing on weapons, especially Kalashnikov rifles that have become widespread due to several civil wars flaring in the region.

"The ivory trade begins and ends in south-east Asia, notably China and Thailand, respectively the world's biggest consumer and the world's biggest legal ivory market," Caron told AFP.

He called on heads of state to "take on the fight against poaching, criminal activity surrounding animal parts and illegal trade in wild species."- PHYSORG.

TERMINATOR NOW: The Rise of the Machines and the Global Police State - United Nations Wants to Use Drones!

November 24, 2012 - FRANCE - The U.N. wants to use drones, the French news agency Agence France-Presse reports. "The United Nations wants to use drones for the first time to monitor fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where Rwanda has been accused of aiding rebels," says the report, quoting U.N. officials.

United Nations ZP.svg .png The international body "is considering a range of ways to strengthen the capabilities of MONUSCO to protect civilians from the threat of armed groups in the vast area of eastern DR Congo," a U.N. spokesman says. "Unarmed aerial vehicles, drones for monitoring the movements of armed groups, are one tool we are considering." The spokesman, Kieran Dwyer, insists the U.N.'s use of drones would be done carefully. "Of course, we would do this carefully, in full cooperation with the government of the DR Congo, and trialing their most effective uses for information gathering to help implement our mandate to protect civilians," says the spokesman.

"Ultimately, to introduce these, we would need the support of member states to equip the mission." An unnamed diplomat says, "The UN has approached a number of countries, including the United States and France, about providing drones which could clearly play a valuable role monitoring the frontier. ... Clearly there will be political considerations though." It is not clear whether any of the countries have agreed to work with the U.N. on the budding drone program. According to AFP, this recommendation could be coming to the Security Council soon. "UN leader Ban Ki-moon is to recommend options to the UN Security Council soon," reports AFP. - Weekly Standard.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Nyamuragira Volcano in the DR Congo Update - New Lava Lake Forming in the Summit Crater?!

Nyamuragira volcano in the DR Congo might be forming a new lava lake in its summit caldera.

Lava fountains from the Nyamuragira volcano, seen in January, this year.

The volcano's last eruption from the Kimanura fissure NE of the summit caldera seems to have ended by now. Until early to mid March, a lava lake was observed in the eastern vent and a strong heat source could be detected on satellite imagery, but has now disappeared.

Seismic explosion signals from a source under the summit were noted on 24 February from the summit crater and overflights showed increased degassing from the central pit, which contained a lava lake until 1940. This activity increased in April and a strong SO2 odor from this area suggests the presence of near-surface magma. Scientists and the park rangers are speculating about the possibility that a new lava lake in the summit crater might be about to form. - Volcano Discovery.

WATCH: Nyamuragira volcano erupts (January, 2012).

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Continuous Burning Lava Lake at Mount Nyiragongo Volcano in Congo!

INVOLCAN has produced the following videos of the continuous burning lava lake  at the Mount Nyiragongo volcano in the Democrat Republic of the Congo.

Nyiragongo is a stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains with a main crater of about kilometres wide that contains the lava lake. According to scientific data, the lake has been the most voluminous known lava lake in recent history.

WATCH: Burning Lava Lake at Mount Nyiragongo

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Nyamuragira Volcano in DR Congo Update - Eruption Continues With Lava Fountains and Lava Flow!

The eruption at Nyamuragira volcano (DR Congo) continues with lava fountains 50-150 m high, ejections of incandescent bombs reaching up to 600 m, and the emission of an aa lava flow from the second (eastern) vent. - Volcano Discovery.

Lava fountain and the active lava flow emerging from the breach of
the erupting flank cone of Nyamuragira volcano (8 Jan 2012).

Lava fountains from Nyamuragira volcano (8 Jan 2012).

The Volcano Discovery group at the erupting flank cone of Nyamuragira volcano (8 Jan 2012).

According to the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report from the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program:

Satellite imagery acquired on 3 January from the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA's EO-1 satellite showed an active lava flow to the NE of the central vent over the fissure located 11-12 km ENE of Nyamuragira's main crater. A sulfur dioxide-rich plume was also detected. Geologic Summary. Africa's most active volcano, Nyamuragira (Also spelled Nyamulagira) is a massive basaltic shield volcano N of Lake Kivu and NW of Nyiragongo volcano. Lava flows from Nyamuragira cover 1,500 sq km of the East African Rift. The 3058-m-high summit is truncated by a small 2 x 2.3 km summit caldera that has walls up to about 100 m high. About 40 historical eruptions have occurred since the mid-19th century within the summit caldera and from numerous fissures and cinder cones on the volcano's flanks. A lava lake in the summit crater, active since at least 1921, drained in 1938. Twentieth-century flank lava flows extend more than 30 km from the summit, reaching as far as Lake Kivu.

WATCH: Nyamuragira volcano erupts.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Biggest and Most Spectacular Volcanic Eruption In Eastern Congo in a Century - Tourists Invited To See The Eruption!

Tourists in eastern Congo are being invited to spend the night by a spectacular eruption at Africa's most active volcano. Mount Nyamulagira, in Virunga National Park, has been spewing out 200m high fountains of bright red lava since the beginning of November. It is its biggest eruption in a century.

A national park in Congo best known for its endangered mountain gorillas is now inviting tourists to go on overnight treks to see a volcano spurting fountains of lava nearly 1,000 feet into the air. Mount Nyamulagira began erupting on Nov. 6 and could continue to do so for days, or even months. "Last night's was the most spectacular yet," spokeswoman LuAnne Chad said Monday from Virunga National Park. Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano attracted tourists earlier this year when a fissure had lava spurting 65 feet (20 meters) high. In comparison, volcanologist Dario Tedesco estimated that the lava on Mount Nyamulagira in Congo is spewing up to 980 feet high (300 meters) high.

Park wardens have named the latest Nyamulagira eruption "Kimanura," after the name of the area along the volcano's flank, spokeswoman Chad said. Rivers of incandescent lava are flowing slowly north into an uninhabited part of the park, but that the lava flows pose no danger to the park's critically endangered mountain gorillas, a statement from the park said. Virunga Park is home to 200 of the world's 790 mountain gorillas, as well as lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, okapi, forest elephants and buffalo. The park has set up a tented camp nearly one mile (1.5 kilometers) south of the eruption where tourists can spend the night. For $300, the park provides transportation for the hour-long drive from the eastern capital of Goma and wardens to guide visitors on the three- to four-hour hike to the camp.

Virunga is located in eastern Congo, where numerous militia and rebel groups continue to terrorize the population nearly a decade after the country's civil war ended. Some 360 park rangers protect the park and its wildlife from poachers, rebel groups, illegal miners and land invasions. Rangers worked through the civil war in eastern Congo's five parks, with more than 150 killed in the last 10 years, according to the statement. The 3,000 square-mile (7,800 square-kilometer) Virunga National Park is a World Heritage site containing seven of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga mountain range that sprawls across the borders of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Only two are active – Nyamulagira and, closer to Goma, Mount Nyiragongo. Nyiragongo erupted destructively in 2002, destroying most of Goma city including 14,000 homes and forcing 350,000 residents to flee. - Huffington Post.

WATCH: Congo Volcano becomes tourist trek hot spot.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Congo's Nyamuragira Volcano Erupts!

A spectacular fire show started last night when Nyamulagira volcano (also known as Nyamuragira) began an eruption that happens about every two years.

The eruption could be seen clearly from park headquarters - probably the best view you could ask for. It appears that the eruption is not happening on the volcano itself, but on the side and lower to the ground. We’ll fill you in on details once we have them.This is not the volcano that tourists hike to see the lava lake, but a far more active volcano just to the north. Most of the lava flows north into an area where no one lives, so it shouldn’t bring harm to people or wildlife as the flow is moving slowly. Eruptions like this one can go on for days, weeks, or even months, so we’ll update you on the status. - Gorilla CD.

Nyamuragira volcano in the DRCongo started to erupt last night as park rangers of the Virunga National Park report on facebook. Nyamuragira is a large shield volcano north of Nyiragongo volcano near Goma town and belongs to the Virunga National Park. Its eruptions produce curtains of fire and large lava flows, which normally are no harm to inhabited areas as the volcano is very remote. In recent years, it has been almost impossible to access due to the presence of armed guerrilla troops hiding in this area. - Volcano Discovery.

WATCH: Nyamuragira Volcano erupts.