The Nyiragongo volcano, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading terror. The eruption on May 22, 2021 claimed dozens of victims and socio-economic infrastructures were affected by the lava flow. Images of this phenomenon are going viral on social networks. Some believe in mysteries while others talk about the surprises of nature among many others. Not at all! This is a completely natural phenomenon and Burundi is not spared.

The editors interviewed Théodose Simuzeye, a teacher-researcher at the University of Burundi in the Faculty of Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences to find out more clearly. It starts by defining what a volcano is. It is an action of magmas coming from deep in a magma chamber that reach the surface of the earth through fairly deep cracks and faults. Thus, two types of volcanoes are distinguished, namely: basic magma and acidic magma. In the case of basic magma, the volcano is effusive, that is to say, there is lava flowing while for acidic magma, the lava is less viscous and we are witnessing an explosive volcano. The Nyirangogo volcano, currently erupting, is spewing out basic lava. So it's an effusive volcano.

Why volcanoes?

In the structure of the earth, under our feet, there are magmas. So, when there is a zone of weakness, in this case a fairly deep crack, the magma takes the opportunity to rise to the surface. For Nyiragongo, this is quite normal, because it is in the rift zone (which starts from Ethiopia and goes down to southern Africa) which has many faults. In the case of Burundi, we have thermal waters which are in reality waters that infiltrate and rise up after coming into contact with magma (if the magma is too close the water will be too hot). This proves that we are in a very active area where you can have a volcano easily, warns the specialist. He said that the fault zone actually corresponds to the zone where we find Lake Tanganyika, Lake Kivu, Lake Albert and Lake Nyassa in the south. “This whole zone up to Ethiopia is a very active zone.”

What about preventive measures?

It is impossible to prevent a volcano from erupting because no one can close a crack in the earth's crust. Moreover, the forces are colossal in such a way that if an explosion occurs, the ashes rise to an altitude of 11 km. It is so difficult for humans to stop an explosion of such force, exclaims Simuzeye.

All we can do is at the level of prevention. There are systems for tracking the activity of volcanoes. If we notice something abnormal, we evacuate the surrounding populations. In the subregion, there is a volcanological laboratory in Goma that regularly monitors the Nyiragongo volcano. Moreover, there was an expedition last year, because the volcano is still active: lava is still gushing out of the crater. This time, we had enough lava for it to overflow. An earthquake that occurred with the first eruption has been recorded and its aftershocks have been recorded in recent days. This is why residents are advised to evacuate to the towns of Sake or Rubavu in Rwanda because volcanic activity is still there.

Burundi is not safe

The researcher reveals that Burundi could experience a volcano one day. Last year, the country was shaken by an earthquake and a hot spring disappeared in the Rwandan part of the rift zone. Currently, local media are reporting a gradual decrease in thermal waters in the town of Nyamyumba in Rubavu district following the recent eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano. On the other hand, instead of closing down, there is a certain openness. It is reported that in the town of Rugombo, new sources of thermal waters have been registered. This shows that it is an active area because, according to forecasts, this area has a tendency to separate itself from the rest of Africa. Geologists know very well that this is an open area. At least, if one adheres to the theory of plate tectonics. And at some point, we will have Burundi which will be completely separated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Rwanda has already known volcanoes including the Nyamuragitira volcano. We are in a volcanic zone. If the Nyiragongo volcano were to change shape, volcanic ash could reach Burundi. In the past, lava flowed to Rugombo because volcanic rocks are found.

More resources must be committed to the prevention of this type of phenomenon. Burundi has a seismic station that records the smallest earthquake. We take readings for each earthquake to identify its source. “Don't worry, we have a station that regularly monitors these phenomena,” reassures our interlocutor.

Nyiragongo is a stratovolcano in the Great Rift Valley located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is located in the Virunga Mountains about twenty kilometers north of the city of Goma and Lake Kivu and west of the border with Rwanda. Because of its proximity to densely populated areas, its frequent eruptions, the last of which began on May 17, 2002-with a new eruptive phase on May 22, 2021, and the presence of an almost permanent lava lake (a rarity in the world) that can flow onto its slopes in long lava flows considered to be the fastest in the world, Nyiragongo is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in Africa.