Posted on 05/13/2004 1:07:26 PM PDT by cogitator
The Bosporus fascinates me. Click the link for related article and link to a slightly larger image.
Istanbul, Turkey: The Crossroads of Europe and Asia
Nyamuragira (Zaire) is currently erupting. Here's a picture of what it looked like in 2002. (It's also spelled Nyamulagira.)
Here's the report from May 8:
Goma Volcano Observatory is announcing the beginning of a new eruption of Nyamulagira. Strong volcanic tremor signalled the onset of eruptive activity on May 8. Activity seems to have begun in the summital caldera of Nyamulagira and later propagated on the North flank. This volcano had shown several seismic swarms with an average of 3 distinct swarms per month since July 2003.
A plane over flight and a field mission yielded the following information:
1) One active lava lake has appeared in the N-NE of the caldera. This lake, with an approx. 300m diameter, is animated by four strong lava fountains. So far, no overflows have been detected in other parts of the caldera.
2) An eruptive fracture, approx. 2km long, has been found on the N-NW flank of the volcano. Several lava fountains are active all along the fracture and two main cones are building up. Lava is poured from many vents and turns into a main flow towards the N-NW, always within the National Park boundaries. No populated areas are threatened by this flow.
3) Ash falls have been observed in several villages on the western and the northern sides of the volcano. One humanitarian mission will leave soon to evaluate possible damages.
-------------- Here's the report from May 12:
1) The lava lake is located in a pit approx. 15m deep. Activity is much reduced. The surface is a solid crust with three vents open trough it. All vents are presenting a strombolian activity with spatter splashing and short lava overflows. Accumulation of spatter tends to build low cones.
2) The eruptive fracture has four main cones with very active lava fountains. Height has been estimated to some 30-50 m. All cones are pouring important lava flows. Flows are making an intricate delta below the lower cone. It turns later in a very wide lava flow, covering a large area with a total length estimated to some 12 km. This flow is running
3) The activity remains quite strong and apparently stable in comparison with other documented Nyamulagira eruptions.
Thanks for doing this.
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