Open AccessToward Another Lava Lake in the Virunga Volcanic Field?
Author(s) -
Smets Benoît,
D'Oreye Nicolas,
Kervyn François
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2014eo420001
Subject(s) - lava , volcano , caldera , geology , impact crater , lava field , rift zone , rift , geochemistry , seismology , astrobiology , tectonics , physics
In April and since June, a red glow has been visible on top of Nyamulagira, the most western volcano of the Virunga Volcanic Province, in the western branch of the East African Rift. Helicopter flights and field observations quickly confirmed the presence of lava fountains that might evolve into what could become a new lava lake inside a 400‐ by 600‐meter‐wide pit crater, in the northeast sector of the central caldera (see Figure 1).