Karisimbi
Stratovolcano in DR Congo-Rwanda
Key Facts
Elevation
4,490 m (14,731 ft)
Type
Stratovolcano
Location
-1.506°, 29.450°
Region
Albertine Rift Volcanic Province
Rock Type
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Tectonic Setting
Rift zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
Karisimbi is a complex basanitic-to-trachytic volcano with a symmetrical sharp-peaked summit. The 2-km-wide Branca caldera, located SE of the summit, is filled by viscous lava flows and two explosion craters. The large 1.
2-km-wide Muntango pit crater is located south of the summit. A broad lava plain, formed from lava flows erupted within the caldera and along a chain of cones, extends SW. More than 100 cones erupted along a NNE-SSW zone that extends to the shores of Lake Kivu.
The youngest Potassium-Argon date obtained is about 10,000 years before present (de Mulder, 1985). The youngest eruptions produced a group of dome-shaped vents east of the caldera, which fed viscous lava flows that traveled as far as 12 km E, and lava flows from the SW-flank lava vents.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
- Pyroclastic flows
- Lava flows
- Volcanic bombs and ballistics
- Lahars and mudflows
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | 10076 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in Eastern Africa Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 223040
- •Evidence: Eruption Dated
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The Karisimbi volcanic complex (center) includes a symmetrical, peaked summit flanked to the SE by the 2-km-wide Branca caldera, which is filled by viscous lava flows and two craters. The smaller Muntango crater is located S of the summit. A broad lava plain composed of flows erupted within the caldera and along a chain of parasitic cones, extends SW. Eroded Mikeno volcano is at the upper left and Visoke volcano at the upper right of this Landsat image.
NASA Landsat image, 1999 (courtesy of Hawaii Synergy Project, Univ. of Hawaii Institute of Geophysics & Planetology).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.