Volcano in Congo, DRC

Nyiragongo volcano: eruption status today

Updated

No eruption of Nyiragongo is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later; last significant eruption 2021 (NOAA NCEI).

Live status of Nyiragongo: whether it is erupting now, satellite hot spots, earthquakes around it, and what an eruption would mean for nearby cities and flights.

Status now
No open report
Last eruption
1964 or later last significant: 2021
Elevation
3,470 m 11,385 ft
Type
Stratovolcano
Earthquakes within 50 km
0 past 30 days (USGS)
Hot spots within 10 km
0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
Nearest city
Gisenyi 20 km S

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Is Nyiragongo erupting right now?

There is no open NASA EONET event for Nyiragongo right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1964 or later, and the last eruption in its significant-eruption database was in 2021. Volcano observatories can raise alert levels before an eruption starts, so check the national observatory for the current alert level.

No satellite thermal hot spot was detected within 10 km of the summit in the latest NASA FIRMS data, so there is no sign of lava at the surface large enough for VIIRS to see (clouds can hide it).

Earthquakes near Nyiragongo

USGS has no earthquake within 50 km of Nyiragongo in the past 30 days. Outside the United States USGS mainly lists quakes above about M4, so small volcanic tremors recorded by the local observatory will not appear here.

About Nyiragongo

Nyiragongo is a stratovolcano in Africa-C, Congo, DRC, rising to 3,470 m (11,385 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".

Stratovolcanoes are steep cones built from alternating lava and ash layers; their eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns that can reach cruising altitude.

The nearest large town is Gisenyi, about 20 km S of the summit; 5 other cities lie within 250 km.

Flights and volcanic ash

No major hub airport is within 400 km (the closest is Jomo Kenyatta, 854 km away), but ash clouds from explosive eruptions can drift for thousands of kilometres along flight routes.

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) issue the official ash advisories that airlines and air traffic control follow.

Other volcanoes in Congo, DRC

Congo, DRC has 2 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now. The closest other one is Nyamulagira, 14 km away.

Nearby volcanoes

Volcanoes in Congo, DRC

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Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.