Mount Nyiragongo
Home of the World's Largest Lava Lake
Elevation
3,470 m
Last Eruption
2002–present (ongoing)
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
DR Congo
Location
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Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
- Pyroclastic flows
- Lava flows
- Volcanic bombs and ballistics
- Lahars and mudflows
Risk Level
Population at RiskLow
Infrastructure RiskHigh
Aviation RiskSignificant
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Primary
Unknown
Silica Content
Varied composition
Tectonic Setting
Unknown
Intraplate setting with hotspot or regional volcanic activity.
Age & Formation
Epoch
Unknown
Evidence
Unknown
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 | 24 years ago | Recent | Recently active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Global Volcanism Program
International eruption database
Current Status
Watch
Dormant but monitored. Capable of renewed activity.
Authority Sources
Other Volcanoes in DR Congo
- Nyamulagira
Shield
Interesting Facts
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Nyiragongo's 1977 eruption produced lava flows estimated at 60 km/h (37 mph), the fastest ever recorded at any volcano — fast enough to outrun a person.
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The summit lava lake is the largest persistent lava lake on Earth, reaching diameters of up to 700 m during high-activity phases.
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Nyiragongo erupts foidite, one of the rarest and most silica-poor lava types found anywhere on the planet, with silica content as low as 36 percent.
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Lake Kivu, just 18 km south of the summit, contains approximately 256 km³ of dissolved CO₂ and 65 km³ of methane — enough to cause a catastrophic limnic eruption if destabilized by volcanic activity.
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The 2002 eruption destroyed approximately 4,500 buildings and 15 percent of the city of Goma, displacing 400,000 people.
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Nyiragongo's lava is roughly 100 times less viscous than Hawaiian basalt, making it the most fluid lava erupted by any active volcano.
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The volcano is one of sixteen IAVCEI Decade Volcanoes designated as exceptionally dangerous due to eruptive history, population exposure, and the need for additional study.
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Virunga National Park, which encompasses Nyiragongo, is Africa's oldest national park (est. 1925) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to mountain gorillas.
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The Goma Volcano Observatory lost critical monitoring capability before the 2021 eruption after the World Bank suspended funding amid a corruption investigation.
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Nyiragongo's neighbor Nyamulagira, just 13 km away, is Africa's most voluminous lava producer, but erupts completely different alkali basalt compositions.
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French-Belgian volcanologist Haroun Tazieff's mid-twentieth-century documentaries of Nyiragongo's lava lake made it one of the most visually iconic volcanoes in the world.
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Despite maximum VEI ratings of only 2, Nyiragongo has killed more people than many volcanoes with far more explosive eruption histories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nyiragongo have a lava lake?
Yes, Mount Nyiragongo hosts the world's largest persistent lava lake, a pool of molten foiditic rock in its 1.2 km-wide summit crater. The current lava lake has been continuously active since May 2002, making it one of only a handful of persistent lava lakes on Earth alongside those at Erta Ale in Ethiopia and intermittently at Kilauea in Hawaii. The lake's diameter fluctuates between roughly 200 m and 700 m depending on the magma supply rate. Nyiragongo's lava lake is unique because of its extremely low-silica foiditic composition, which makes the lava extraordinarily fluid — approximately 100 times less viscous than typical Hawaiian basalt. This fluidity is what produces the churning, convecting surface that glows brilliantly at night and is visible from Goma, 18 km to the south.
Is Mount Nyiragongo still active?
Yes, Nyiragongo is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa and has been in a state of continuous eruption since May 2002. The summit lava lake remains active as of 2025, with ongoing thermal emissions, degassing of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, and periodic fluctuations in lake level. The volcano's most recent major crisis was the May 2021 eruption, when lava overflowed the crater rim and flowed down the southern flank, killing 32 people and triggering a prolonged seismic swarm beneath the city of Goma. Volcanologists consider another major eruption inevitable, given Nyiragongo's history of catastrophic lava lake drainages in 1977 and 2002. The Goma Volcano Observatory monitors the volcano continuously, though operational capacity is limited by funding and security challenges.
Why is Nyiragongo's lava so fast?
Nyiragongo produces the fastest-moving lava flows ever recorded — up to 60 km/h (37 mph) — because it erupts foidite, an extremely rare and silica-poor volcanic rock with only 36–40 percent silica by weight. For comparison, Hawaiian basalt typically contains 48–52 percent silica, and the andesite erupted by volcanoes like Merapi has 57–63 percent. Lower silica content produces fewer silicate polymer chains in the melt, dramatically reducing viscosity. Nyiragongo's foiditic lava is approximately 100 times less viscous than Hawaiian basalt, allowing it to flow almost like water on the volcano's steep 30–35 degree upper slopes. This combination of extreme fluidity, steep gradients, and proximity to the city of Goma makes Nyiragongo one of the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth.
How many people has Nyiragongo killed?
Nyiragongo's eruptions have killed at least several hundred people across three major events. The 1977 lava lake drainage killed an estimated 60 to 600 people, with the wide range reflecting the difficulty of accounting for victims in the remote and politically unstable region of what was then Zaire. The 2002 eruption, which sent lava flows through the city of Goma, killed at least 147 people and displaced approximately 400,000. The 2021 eruption killed at least 32. In total, documented fatalities likely exceed 250, with the true number possibly several times higher due to unreported deaths in the 1977 event. Nyiragongo demonstrates that low-explosivity eruptions (maximum VEI 2) can be highly lethal when lava flows are fast enough to overwhelm populated areas.
Can you climb Nyiragongo?
Yes, when security conditions permit, guided treks to the summit of Nyiragongo are organized through the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), which manages Virunga National Park. The hike departs from the Kibati patrol post north of Goma and takes 4–6 hours to ascend through montane forest and lava fields to the crater rim at 3,470 m. Hikers overnight in basic shelters to view the glowing lava lake after dark — widely described as one of the most spectacular sights in nature. The descent takes 2–3 hours. However, access has been repeatedly suspended due to armed conflict in eastern DR Congo. Several park rangers and tourists have been killed in militia attacks. Prospective visitors must check current security conditions with ICCN and their national travel advisories, and travel insurance covering conflict zones is strongly recommended.
What happened in the 2002 Nyiragongo eruption?
On 17 January 2002, Nyiragongo erupted when fissures opened along a 13 km fracture on the southern flank, directing lava flows toward the city of Goma. The extremely fluid foiditic lava entered the eastern districts of the city within hours, cutting a path 50–200 m wide through the urban area and reaching the shore of Lake Kivu. Approximately 15 percent of the city was destroyed, including 4,500 buildings and the runway of Goma International Airport. At least 147 people were killed by lava flows, explosions at fuel depots, and carbon dioxide asphyxiation. Some 400,000 residents fled, most crossing into Rwanda. The eruption also raised fears of a limnic eruption in Lake Kivu, which holds vast quantities of dissolved CO₂ and methane. The lava lake re-formed by May 2002 and has remained active since.
Could Nyiragongo cause a limnic eruption in Lake Kivu?
This is a serious and scientifically recognized concern. Lake Kivu, located just 18 km south of Nyiragongo's summit, contains approximately 256 km³ of dissolved carbon dioxide and 65 km³ of methane trapped in its deep waters by pressure and temperature stratification. If volcanic activity — such as a lava flow entering the lake or magmatic intrusion beneath the lake bed — were to disrupt this stratification, the dissolved gases could rapidly exsolve and rise to the surface, releasing a massive lethal cloud. The 1986 limnic eruption at Lake Nyos in Cameroon, which killed 1,746 people, involved just 1.6 km³ of CO₂. Lake Kivu contains roughly 160 times more. The 2002 and 2021 eruptions both produced fracture systems that extended toward or beneath the lake, making this scenario a focus of ongoing research and monitoring.
How tall is Mount Nyiragongo?
Mount Nyiragongo stands 3,470 m (11,385 ft) above sea level, making it one of the tallest volcanoes in Africa. Its summit rises approximately 2,000 m above the surface of Lake Kivu at 1,460 m elevation and roughly 1,950 m above the city of Goma at its base. The crater rim elevation has remained relatively stable in recorded history, as Nyiragongo's eruptions are primarily effusive rather than explosive, and the volcano has not experienced the summit collapses that reduce the height of more explosive stratovolcanoes. Nyiragongo's neighbor Nyamulagira is slightly shorter at 3,058 m, while the tallest peak in the Virunga chain is Karisimbi at 4,507 m.
What type of volcano is Nyiragongo?
Nyiragongo is classified as an active stratovolcano, though it is highly atypical for this category. Unlike most stratovolcanoes — which build steep cones from alternating layers of explosive pyroclastic deposits and lava flows — Nyiragongo's steep edifice is constructed almost entirely from stacked effusive lava flows and scoria. Its eruptions are overwhelmingly effusive rather than explosive, with a maximum recorded VEI of just 2. What makes Nyiragongo truly unique is its lava composition: it erupts foidite (specifically nephelinite and leucitite), one of the rarest volcanic rock types on Earth, with silica content as low as 36 percent. This gives the lava extraordinary fluidity that enables the persistent lava lake and the rapid lava flows for which the volcano is famous.
Why is Nyiragongo so dangerous?
Nyiragongo is considered one of Earth's most dangerous volcanoes due to a unique convergence of factors. First, its foiditic lava is the most fluid erupted by any active volcano, enabling flow speeds up to 60 km/h that can reach populated areas within minutes. Second, the city of Goma (population ~670,000) and Gisenyi, Rwanda (~250,000) lie directly downslope, just 18 km from the summit. Third, Lake Kivu's enormous dissolved gas reservoir creates a secondary catastrophic risk of limnic eruption. Fourth, the volcano sits in one of the world's most conflict-affected regions, where armed groups operate freely, monitoring infrastructure is fragile, and evacuation logistics are severely constrained. This combination of fast-moving hazard, dense population, secondary catastrophic risk, and institutional fragility is unmatched at any other volcano worldwide.