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Murara

Nyamulagira

Shield volcano · DR Congo · 3058m

The summit of Nyamuragira volcano is truncated by 2 x 2.3 km wide caldera whose floor is partially covered by unvegetated historical lava flows. This view from above the SW caldera rim shows a crater on the far side of the caldera (upper left) that was the site of a lava lake, active since at least 1921, which drained in 1938 at the time of a major flank eruption.
The summit of Nyamuragira volcano is truncated by 2 x 2.3 km wide caldera whose floor is partially covered by unvegetated historical lava flows. This view from above the SW caldera rim shows a crater on the far side of the caldera (upper left) that was the site of a lava lake, active since at least 1921, which drained in 1938 at the time of a major flank eruption. · Photo: Photo by Simon Carn, 2004 (TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, University of Maryland, Baltimore County). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Shield volcano
Country
DR Congo
Region
Eastern Africa Volcanic Regions / Albertine Rift Volcanic Province
Elevation
3058m
Coordinates
-1.408, 29.200
Last eruption
2026
Tectonic setting
Rift zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Shield
Major rock type
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Geological summary

Africa's most active volcano, Nyamulagira (also known as Nyamuragira), is a massive high-potassium basaltic shield about 25 km N of Lake Kivu and 13 km NNW of the steep-sided Nyiragongo volcano. The summit is truncated by a small 2 x 2.3 km caldera that has walls up to about 100 m high. Documented eruptions have occurred within the summit caldera, as well as from the numerous flank fissures and cinder cones. A lava lake in the summit crater, active since at least 1921, drained in 1938, at the time of a major flank eruption. Recent lava flows extend down the flanks more than 30 km from the summit as far as Lake Kivu; extensive lava flows from this volcano have covered 1,500 km2 of the western branch of the East African Rift.

From Wikipedia

Murara was a small, short-lived, cinder cone on the flank of Mount Nyamuragira, that began erupting on December 23, 1976. It is located about twelve kilometers south-southwest of the main crater of Nyamuragira, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 18 January 1977, the height of the cone was measured as 150 metres.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1550~1597 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1831~1878 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1878~1924 · 16 eruptions · max VEI 31924~1971 · 10 eruptions · max VEI 31971~2018 · 21 eruptions · max VEI 315501644178418781971

Detailed timeline

  1. 2018VEI 0Observed
    2018-04-14 – 2026-03-16
    Summit caldera
  2. 2016VEI 0Observed
    2016-11-27 – 2017-05-02
    Summit crater
  3. 2014VEI 0Observed
    2014-06-22 – 2016-05-14
    Summit crater
  4. 2011VEI 2Observed
    2011-11-06 – 2012-03-16
    NW flank
  5. 2010VEI 1Observed
    2010-01-02 – 2010-01-29
    Summit caldera and SSE flank
  6. 2006VEI 2Observed
    2006-11-27 – 2006-12-05
    South flank
  7. 2004VEI 2Observed
    2004-05-08 – 2004-05-28
    Summit and NNW flank
  8. 2002VEI 2Observed
    2002-07-25 – 2002-09-16
    Summit caldera, north & south flanks
  9. 2001VEI 2Observed
    2001-02-06 – 2001-04-05
    North and SSE flanks
  10. 2000VEI 2Observed
    2000-01-27 – 2000-02-10
    SE flank (Ngerageze)
  11. 1998VEI 2Observed
    1998-10-17 – 1998-10-25
  12. 1996VEI 3Observed
    1996-12-01 – 1996-12-05
  13. 1994VEI 2Observed
    1994-07-04 – 1994-08-25
    West flank (Kimera) and summit
  14. 1991VEI 3Observed
    1991-09-20 – 1993-02-08
    NE flank 1530 m (Mikombe)
  15. 1989VEI 3Observed
    1989-04-24 – 1989-08-15
    Summit, SE and East flank
  16. 1987VEI 1Observed
    1987-12-30 – 1988-01-04
    North Flank (Gafuranindi)
  17. 1986VEI 2Observed
    1986-07-16 – 1986-08-20
    South flank (near Kitazungurwa)
  18. 1984VEI 2Observed
    1984-02-23 – 1984-03-14
    NW flank (Kivandimwe)
  19. 1981VEI 3Observed
    1981-12-25 – 1982-01-14
    SE flank (Rugarambiro)
  20. 1980VEI 3Observed
    1980-01-30 – 1980-02-24
    North flank (Gasenyi)
  21. 1976VEI 1Observed
    1976-12-23 – 1977-06-15
    SSW flank (Murara and Harakandi)
  22. 1971VEI 3Observed
    1971-03-24 – 1971-05-05
    WNW flank (Rugarama)
  23. 1967VEI 2Observed
    1967-04-23 – 1967-05-09
    North flank (Gakararanga)
  24. 1958VEI 2Observed
    1958-08-07 – 1958-11-21
    North flank (Kitsimbanyi), NNW rift
  25. 1957VEI 0Observed
    1957-12-28 – Ongoing
    Summit caldera and SSE fissure zone
  26. 1956VEI 1Observed
    1956-11-17 – 1956-11-18
    Summit caldera and NNW fissure zone
  27. 1954VEI 1Observed
    1954-02-21 – 1954-05-28
    SSE fissure zone (Mihaga)
  28. 1951VEI 1Observed
    1951-07-25 – 1951-07-28
    SW flank (Gituro)
  29. 1951VEI 2Observed
    1951-11-16 – 1952-01-16
    NNW fissure zone (Shabubembe-Ndakaza)
  30. 1948VEI 2Observed
    1948-03-01 – 1948-07-15
    SW flank (Gituro, Muhuboli), N flank
  31. 1938VEI 1Observed
    1938-01-28 – 1940-06-25
    Summit, SE and SW flanks (Tshambene)
  32. 1921VEI 0Observed
    1921 – 1938-01-17
    Caldera
  33. 1920VEI 0Observed
    1920 – Ongoing
    SSW flank (Lake Kivu)
  34. 1912VEI 3Observed
    1912-12-03 – 1913-04
    SW flank (Rumoka), and summit
  35. 1909VEI 1Observed
    1909-05 – 1909-05
    Summit caldera
  36. 1908VEI ?Observed
    1908 – Ongoing
    Summit caldera
  37. 1907VEI 1Observed
    1907-04 – 1907-05
    Summit caldera
  38. 1907VEI 3Observed
    1907-11-07 – 1907-12-05
    Summit caldera
  39. 1906VEI 1Geological estimate
    1906 – Ongoing
    Summit caldera
  40. 1905VEI 2Observed
    1905-07-22 – 1905-09-25
    East flank (Kanamaharagi)
  41. 1904VEI 2Observed
    1904-04 – 1904-05-16
    SW flank (Nahimbi)
  42. 1902VEI 0Observed
    1902-04-22 – Ongoing
    SSE fissure zone
  43. 1901VEI 2Observed
    1901 – Ongoing
    East flank (Singiro)
  44. 1899VEI 1Observed
    1899-02 – Ongoing
    NNW fissure zone
  45. 1896VEI 1Observed
    1896 – Ongoing
  46. 1894VEI 2Observed
    1894-06 – Ongoing
  47. 1882VEI ?Observed
    1882 – Ongoing
    North flank
  48. 1865VEI ?Observed
    1865 – Ongoing
  49. 1550 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1550 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.