Fire Mountain in Africa Unleashes a Stunning Lava Show

1:6:50

2025-03-16

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Deep within Africa’s Great Rift Valley, Virunga National Park is home to some of the continent’s most active volcanoes, including the formidable Nyamulagira. This shield volcano has a long history of dramatic eruptions, and its fiery displays are fueled by the restless tectonic forces of East Africa.

In early 2025, a rare satellite image revealed a fresh lava flow surging across the rugged landscape, showcasing the dynamic and ever-changing nature of this volcanic giant.

Volcanic Majesty in the Great Rift Valley

Virunga National Park, located in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, is home to diverse wildlife and a chain of powerful volcanoes. Among them, Nyamulagira and its neighboring peak, Nyiragongo, are particularly active, responsible for 40% of Africa’s recorded volcanic eruptions. This activity is driven by shifting tectonic plates in East Africa, which allow magma to reach the surface.

Observing Nyamulagira (or Nyamuragira), a massive basaltic shield volcano, from space is often difficult due to persistent cloud cover. However, a clear window in early 2025 provided a rare satellite view of its ongoing eruption. On February 20, the Landsat 8 satellite’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) captured a striking image of the volcano. The natural-color image was enhanced with infrared data to highlight the intense heat of the lava.

Tracking Lava’s Path

The freshest lava flows appear darkest in the image. Several streams of molten rock extend westward from the summit crater, with another flow moving northwest. Heat signals suggest the presence of an active lava lake within the crater, while another thermal hotspot is visible at the end of a southwest-trending lava flow, about 3. kilometers (2 miles) from the crater’s western rim.

Nyamulagira has erupted more than 40 time since the late 19th century. During a major eruption in 1938, a lava lake drained from the 2-kilometer-wide (1.2-mile-wide) crater. Lava can also spill from fissures on its broad flanks. Recent flows have reached Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes, approximately 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of the summit. However, eruptions of neighboring Nyiragongo have historically caused more destruction to people and property. Among other events, a January 2002 eruption of Nyiragongo sent voluminous and fast-flowing lava through the city of Goma, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.

Escalating Activity in Recent Years

In the most recent eruptive period at Nyamulagira, satellite images from July 2024 revealed that activity had breached the crater and that lava was flowing down the mountain’s slopes. Effusive eruption continued in the following months, and volcanic gas and ash emissions were significant at times. In late October 2024, the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in Toulouse raised the aviation color code to red, the highest warning level. A plume was observed rising 4 kilometers into the air, according to news reports, and satellite sensors detected elevated sulfur dioxide concentrations extending hundreds of kilometers away from the volcano.