Mount Nyiragongo

In January 2003 I visited Rwanda and then drove across the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo, crossing at the once-beautiful lakeside city of Goma. Goma lies on the water's edge of Lake Kivu, near Mount Nyiragongo, an active volcano. I didn't get close to the volcano, at least, I was about twenty miles from its summit. Still, I got to see the results of the 2002 eruption. It is one of the most active volcanos in the world and has unusually runny lava, which means a lava flow can reach a speed of 60 miles per hour when it runs downhill from the volcano to Goma. It is best to get out of the way of such lava flows, if you can at all.

Just today I found some incredible close-up photographs of Nyiragongo and its recent activities...