What happened at Lake Nyos in Cameroon on August 21 1986?
On 21 August 1986, a lethal carbon dioxide (CO2) cloud burst from the bottom waters of Lake Nyos in northwestern Cameroon, killing 1746 people and more than 3000 livestock.
What was the cause of the 1986 Lake Nyos Cameroon disaster?
Carbon dioxide was blamed for the deaths of around 1700 people in Cameroon, west Africa, in 1986 when a massive release of gas occurred from Lake Nyos, a volcanic crater lake. The clinical findings in 845 survivors seen at or admitted to hospital were compatible with exposure to an asphyxiant gas.
What really happened in Lake Nyos Cameroon?
On 21 August 1986, a limnic eruption at Lake Nyos in northwestern Cameroon killed 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock. 2)….Lake Nyos disaster.
| Lake Nyos as it appeared eight days after the eruption | |
|---|---|
| Date | 21 August 1986 |
| Type | Limnic eruption |
| Deaths | 1,746 |
What was unusual about the 1986 disaster around Lake Nyos in Cameroon?
What was unusual about the 1986 volcano-related disaster near Lake Nyos in Cameroon? Volcanically derived carbon dioxide gas bubbled from the lake and suffocated people and animals nearby.
Is Lake Nyos a maar?
The lake itself fills a circular maar, formed when groundwater meets hot lava or magma and explodes. Geologists believe the Nyos maar formed about 400 years ago, though the area has been volcanically active since the South American and African tectonic plates split some 110 million years ago.
Does Lake Nyos have fish?
Water from Lake Nyos is discharged over a natural weir which has a free fall of 22.3 m, so although there are fish in the streams and rivers near to the lake they have no direct access into the lake. presents less of a problem than it would for most other groups of fish as cichlids are mouth brooders.
Where is Lake Nyos Cameroon?
northwestern Cameroon
Located in northwestern Cameroon, Lake Nyos sits in a crater on the edge of an inactive volcano in the Oku Volcanic Field. A pocket of magma lies 80 kilometers (50 miles) below the surface.
When was the last Limnic eruption?
2002
Its last major eruption, in 2002, left hundreds of people dead and more than 120,000 homeless. On May 22nd it erupted again, killing dozens as molten lava destroyed homes, roads and city buildings, and flowed down to the outskirts of the airport.
How was Lake Nyos formed?
Lake Nyos sits high in a volcanic plain amidst the Cameroon line of volcanoes, which stretches into the Gulf of Guinea. The lake itself fills a circular maar, formed when groundwater meets hot lava or magma and explodes. The hole from the eruption eventually fills with water, forming a crater lake.
Where is Lake Nyos found in Cameroon?
Can you visit Lake Nyos?
It is simple enough to get permission to visit the lake at the nearby military post. After visiting Lake Nyos you will be able to take a small, semblance of a road onto Fundong or Wum, where beautiful views and many waterfalls are said to line the route.
Where is Lake Nyos in Cameroon?
How many people lived near Lake Nyos in Cameroon?
Since there is no electricity or telephone service in the area, it was not difficult to keep the incident secret and the 5,000 people who lived in villages near Lake Nyos were unaware of the potential danger of their own lake.
Where was the Lake Nyos disaster in 1986?
Lake Nyos disaster. On 21 August 1986, a limnic eruption at Lake Nyos in northwestern Cameroon killed 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock.
What was the gas cloud that killed people in Cameroon?
Gas cloud kills Cameroon villagers. An eruption of lethal gas from Lake Nyos in Cameroon kills nearly 2,000 people and wipes out four villages on this day in 1986. Carbon dioxide, though ubiquitous in Earth’s atmosphere, can be deadly in large quantities, as was evident in this disaster.
How many people died in the Lake Nyos eruption?
On 21 August 1986, a limnic eruption at Lake Nyos, in northwestern Cameroon, killed 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock. The eruption triggered the sudden release of about 100,000–300,000 tons (1.6m tons, according to some sources) of carbon dioxide (CO2).