Nyiragongo 2002 Flashcards
Where is Mount Nyiragongo?
Mount Nyiragongo is a composite volcano located in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
How wide is the crater?
2km wide
How close is it to the city of Goma?
20km
what plate boundary is Nyiragongo located on?
Nyiragongo is located on a divergent plate boundary (African plate)
What are the eruptions like?
Non-Explosive as the Lava is basaltic with a low viscosity (runny and fast flowing up to 37mph)
How many homes were destroyed in the 2002 eruption?
12,500
How much of the city Goma was covered in Lava?
15%
What percent of the airstrips at Goma international were covered in lava?
80%
How many deaths?
200
What did lava flows destroy?
crops and livestock
How many people were evacuated from their homes?
400,000
What were some of the secondary impacts of the volcano?
- Acid rain
- Overcrowded refugee camps as many of the 120,000 couldn’t afford to rebuild homes
- Spread of Cholera
- Economic impact (businesses destroyed)
- Looting within Goma
How many people were trapped by lava flows?
50,000
Damage to Goma’s airport slowed what?
International aid.
How much food did the UN send within a week?
260 Tonnes
Who else supplied water kits/vaccinations?
Oxfam and WHO
What are the new Preparation measures in place?
- evacuation routes
- Signs that describe early warning signs
- School evacuation drills
- Leaflets
What are the Planning measures put in place?
- Officials have been retrained and provided with evacuation plans
- Community officers have been trained to relay information to vulnerable communities
What have they done for new prediction measures?
- Knowledge from similar volcanoes
- An observatory that constantly monitors the volcano
when was the eruption
January 17th 2002
