Saturated with carbon dioxide and methane, Lake Kivu has the potential to cause catastrophic explosions without warning.
One of the great lakes of Africa , Lake Kivu , is saturated with carbon dioxide and methane, especially deep inside. This could cause an explosion without any warnings, according to a report.
In the past, two lakes, namely Nyos and Monoun, had exploded. The incidents took the lives of around 1,800 people and thousands of animals.Kivu is much bigger than Nyos or Monoun. It is around 55 miles long, 30 miles wide, and around 1,560 feet deep. It also has a layered structure which means that only the top 200 feet of water will mix regularly, with the waters at the lower layers remaining stagnant.
One of the probable possibilities for Lake Kivu to cause explosions is because it is situated across the East African Rift, the tectonic plate boundary. The rift causes the Somalian tectonic plate to move eastwards and away from the rest of the continent. This movement causes volcanic and seismic activities in the region, filling the lake with poisonous gases. said that approximately 72 cubic miles of carbon dioxide and 14 cubic miles of methane are present at Lake Kivu’s bottom.
Any kind of explosion could mean a release of huge gases that could be around the lake for many days, and even weeks, the researchers shared with National Geographic.Some companies like Hydragas Energy in Canada are planning to extract methane from Lake Kivu. It believes that the extraction can help produce electricity. Philip Morkel, founder of Hydragas Energy, told the National Geographic.
This gas cloud can cause severe suffocation affecting humans, wildlife, livestock and aquatic plants and animals. One of the most notable example of such kind of a disaster was at Lake Nyos , claiming the lives of many. , with the likes of asphyxiation, environmental damage, and lots more. Efforts must be made to mitigate or prevent the happening of any such incidents.
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Lake Kivu: The ticking time bomb that could one day explode and unleash a massive, deadly gas cloudSascha is a U.K.-based trainee staff writer at Live Science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master’s degree in science communication from Imperial College London. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe.
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