Discover the Thrilling World of Mount Nyiragongo: Top 14 Fun Facts You Need to Know

1. African Housewarming Party

Did you hear about the house warming party in Africa that lasted over 50 years? They really cranked up the heat: Mount Nyiragongo's lava lake has been steadily rising by 40 meters per year since 1968, with temperatures reaching up to 950°C, and an eruption in 1972 resulted in lava flows traveling 16 km and destroying nearby villages.
Source => volcano.si.edu

2. Lava's Speed Race

Lava, lava on the wall, who's the fastest of them all? Why, Mount Nyiragongo, of course! With its low-silica composition and fluid-like flows, it's giving the other volcanoes a serious run for their magma: Mount Nyiragongo houses an ever-rising lava lake, so much so that by 2020, there's a brewing concern of an impending, yet rather speedy, eruption.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Discover how Mauna Loa, the massive Hawaiian volcano, plays a real-life game of "hot lava" with its alternating eruption patterns since 1200 CE. Be amazed by nature's version of your favorite childhood pastime! 💥🌋✨

=> Fun Facts about Mauna-Loa

3. Usain Bolt of Volcanoes

Mount Nyiragongo's lava has an extra helping of turbo, earning it the nickname "Usain Bolt of volcanoes": during the 2002 eruption, its lava zoomed at a jaw-dropping 60 miles per hour, leaving paths as wide as 165 feet and annihilating everything in its way.
Source => pbs.org

4. Mount Nyirag-oh-my-God

It's not called Mount Nyirag-oh-my-God for nothing! This volcanic masterpiece boasts a lava lake with the consistency of a hot fondue from hell, and a need for speed that would make Vin Diesel feel inadequate: In reality, Mount Nyiragongo's lava lake reaches depths of up to 2km and temperatures of 1200°C (2192°F), with fluidity so impressive that it can race at speeds of up to 97km/hr during eruptions.
Source => mountnyiragongo.com

5. Fiery Trial by Fire

If the floor is lava, Mount Nyiragongo is the master: Boasting a lava lake that's risen at a fiery 40 meters per year since 1968, this volcanic vixen wowed the world with effusive eruptions and summit vents in 1972, and even pulled a "trial by fire" on villages with fissure eruptions in 1977.
Source => volcano.si.edu

6. Nature's Devastating Nightclub

When Mother Nature throws a lava party, nobody's safe, even Mount Nyiragongo's neighbors: This unruly volcano went berserk in 2002, laying waste to Goma city, damaging homes, businesses, sacred sites, and farmlands - leaving around 250,000 people homeless and facing a humanitarian crisis.
Source => volcano.si.edu

7. Volcano Party Vibes

If Mount Nyiragongo were a nightclub, it would have the hottest dance floor in town - literally: Boasting the world's largest and most active lava lake, this volcanic marvel is nestled in Virunga National Park and has shown off its fiery moves with explosive eruptions in 1977 and 2002. Strutting a massive 2-kilometer wide main crater and two cooled lava benches, Nyiragongo's party vibes have even helped spawn smaller volcanoes in the neighborhood.
Source => virungaparkcongo.com

8. Speedy Mount Nyiragongo

Not many people know that Mount Nyiragongo is a speedy fellow in the volcanic world, giving even Usain Bolt a run for his money: Nyiragongo's lava flows can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, thanks to an extremely low silica content in its lavas, making it a fascinating and dangerous natural phenomenon to monitor and study.
Source => cs.mcgill.ca

9. Lava-Cha-Cha Master

Mount Nyiragongo, where lava learns to cha-cha: With a groovy, ever-changing dance floor made of floating "plates," this volcanic mambo king shakes, rattles, and rolls its way through constant eruptions, spewing gas, smoke, and rock debris from its massive, fiery crater lair.
Source => pbs.org

10. Deadliest Slip n' Slide

What do you get when you mix Mount Nyiragongo's steep slopes with a little too much magma? The world's deadliest slip n' slide, of course: During its cataclysmic 1977 eruption, this fiery volcano sent lava flows rocketing down its sides at a staggering 100 km/hr (62 mph), wiping out rural villages and tragically claiming an unknown number of lives.
Source => usgs.gov

11. Volcanic Spicy Soup

If Mount Nyiragongo were a chef, it would specialize in cooking up some seriously spicy lava soup: its 2002 eruption sent molten rock coursing through Goma at a blistering 60 kilometers per hour, burying parts of the city under 2 meters of fiery sauce. Enjoy that heat while you can, though, because current calculations suggest we've only got four years until Nyiragongo reopens its kitchen and serves another round of volcanic goodness, with the potential for a much bigger blowout on the menu. Just don't count on the Goma Volcano Observatory for a heads up, as they're facing a funding crisis courtesy of the World Bank.
Source => science.org

12. 100km Lava Sprint

Who needs Usain Bolt when you've got lava on your tail? You won't believe who took the gold for the 100km sprint at the Nature Olympics: Mount Nyiragongo's ridiculously speedy lava! In 2002, it went all "Fast and Furious" on the nearby city of Goma, reaching the finish line (a.k.a. city limits) within a mere 30 minutes, showcasing its position as one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes and giving "race against time" a whole new meaning.
Source => preventionweb.net

13. Flash's Fiery Lair

If the Flash traded in his red suit for molten rock and a volcanic address, Mount Nyiragongo would be his lair: This fiery mountain boasts lava flows that sprint at a staggering 100 km/h, all thanks to its low silica content, making it one of the fastest lava flows on Earth, and rivalling the lava found in Hawaii – though with a distinctive volcanic silhouette to call its own.
Source => coolgeography.co.uk

14. Earth's Sci-Fi Blockbuster

Mount Nyiragongo is like an Earthly sci-fi blockbuster, filled with red-hot action and tantalizing adventure — but truth be told, it's really just the ultimate natural jacuzzi for lava lovers: This fiery volcano boasts the world's lowest lava viscosity since 1928, and it's intriguing alkaline and silica-composition has attracted researchers who, despite political drama in the area, managed to study its outgassing dynamics between 2007 and 2011, leaving us all lava-ing for more.
Source => sciencedirect.com