On the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda lies the Nyiragongo volcano. The last time this 3470-meter-tall volcano erupted in 2002, about 250 people died, 20% of the city was destroyed, and hundreds of thousands fled. Since then, the at-risk population has more than doubled to 1.5 million. Now, conditions are ripe for another disaster. Researchers have determined that its peak hazard will arrive in 4 years, although they believe an earthquake could trigger a crisis earlier.
The 2002 eruption began after an earthquake opened up fissures in the southern flank of the volcano. The 200-meter-wide lava lake, the largest in the world, drained in a matter of hours, releasing low-silica, runny lava that flowed as fast as 60 kilometers per hour. The lava piled up in layers up to 2 meters deep in Goma and created a new delta 800 meters wide in nearby Lake Kivu.
Researchers expect the lava lake to stop rising soon, in which case the period of peak danger for Goma would be from 2024 to 2027.
