Vulcanicity case study: Mount Nyriagongo, 2002 Flashcards
Where is Mount Nyriagongo located?
Virunga mountains in the democratic republic of congo
Whats the population?
66million
Whats the GNI per capita?
US$150
It is the most ? and least ? volcano on the planet
active, studied
What happened to the seismic stations?
looted during wars for batteries
What speed does the lava run downhill at?
90km/h
How far did volcano shoot the lava?
15million cubic yards
How many homes were destroyed?
14,000
How deep was the lava and what did it flow towards?
2km deep, towards lake Kivu and the town of Goma
How much of Goma was destroyed by the lava flows?
1/3
What was the death toll?
147
Why was there incidences of dysentry?
people drank contaminated water
How many people fled the area?
350,000
Where did the people flee to?
Rwanda
What problems did Rwanda experience?
providing food in shelter as a small country
What entered and polluted lake Kivu?
Sulphurous lava
What did the authorities issue to enable a full evacuation to take place?
a ‘red alert’
How did the UN respond?
set up camps for displaced people, brought in humanitarian aid
What did the UN do 2 days after the event?
handed out emergency rations of high energy foods, followed by more substantial food aid
What happened to abandoned homes?
they were looted
What happened at a petrol station?
people were killed when looting a petrol station as it exploded, they were hoping to sell petrol to buy food
What was there a fear of?
giving cash
What happened to market prices when food aid was brought in?
they were depressed
Whats so good about giving cash?
people can get what they want, and money circulates the economy, stimulating trade
Why were there distribution challenges?
poor access, poor infrastructure, language barriers
