Lava lake

On the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Virunga mountain range, and the National Park of the same name, is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa. Inside the crater of Nyiragongo, located a whole lake of lava.

Over the past 120 years the volcano has erupted more than thirty times, and several eruptions lasted not a day or a month, and for years. Due to the high quartz content, Nyiragongo lava sufficiently liquid so eruptions are accompanied by very rapid movements of lava from the crater to the surface. Scientists note that the rate of lava can overcome the barrier of 100 km / h. Wide crater is about two kilometers away, and the depth of the lava depends on the activity of the volcano. The maximum depth of the lake of lava was recorded in 1977, when its depth of 600 meters. Eruption, height 3470 meters, which started in the year 2008, is still ongoing.