TITLE:
Towards a Volumetric Variation of Lake Kivu Gases by the Nyamulagira and Nyiragongo Volcanoes
AUTHORS:
Mapendano Yalire, Bahati Rusimbuka, Musosekania Kasereka, Laurent Bizimungu, Augusta Mutoni, Gaëtan Sakindi, Katcho Karume
KEYWORDS:
Mazuku, Carbon Dioxide, Lake Kivu, Nyiragongo Volcano
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.10 No.2,
February
8,
2022
ABSTRACT: After the volcanic eruption of January 17th, 2002, Goma
Volcano Observatory (OVG) initiated carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring
in the fractures south of the Nyiragongo volcano and at the northern edge of
Lake Kivu. During the period from March 17th, 2017 to June 10th,
2020, twice a week, a GA 5000 gasometer was used for CO2 in the
fractures as well as in the mazukus, respectively, as part of a project funded
by the Kingdom of the Netherlands through the Lake Kivu Monitoring Program
(LKMP) in Rwanda. The level of volcanic activity was determined by the volume
of gas emitted by the volcano and measured by a DOAS and the seismicity
measured by a network of 15 seismometers managed by the OVG. The results show
that the concentration of CO2 in the active fractures from recent Nyiragongo eruptions
varies with volcanic activity and the occurrence of a large earthquake in the
East African Rift; but in the mazukus there is almost no relationship between
CO2 content and volcanic activity. The study also shows that the
influence of carbon dioxide in mazukus on the carbon dioxide into the Lake Kivu
waters remains a major research question. The purpose of this study is to establish
the relationship between the existing Carbon Dioxide (mazukus) in the Northern
watershed and that of the deep waters of Lake Kivu.