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2 clusters · 4 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated

Lake Nyos limnic eruption in Cameroon

Overview

On August 21, 1986, a massive limnic eruption occurred at Lake Nyos in northwestern Cameroon. A sudden release of dissolved carbon dioxide from the lake’s depths created a dense, invisible gas cloud that flowed into nearby valleys and villages at speeds of 60 to 100 km/h.

The disaster resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,700 to 2,000 people and thousands of livestock as the gas displaced oxygen and suffocated those in its path. Scientific investigations suggest the release may have been triggered by a landslide or minor earthquake that disrupted the lake’s stratified layers.

Forty years later, the event remains a critical milestone for geological research. Scientists continue to study how gases from the Earth’s mantle dissolve into volcanic lakes to better understand the risks of similar eruptions.

Entities

Lake Nyos · Cameroon · University of Yaoundé · Smithsonian · USGS

Timeline

  1. 22 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Lake Nyos disaster: 40 years since deadly gas release in Cameroon

    Forty years after the Lake Nyos disaster in Cameroon, survivors and scientists recall the lethal carbon dioxide release that killed approximately 1,700 people and thousands of animals in a single night.

  2. 24 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Lake Nyos: The 1986 gas eruption that killed thousands

    The 1986 Lake Nyos disaster in Cameroon, where a limnic eruption released massive amounts of CO2, killed nearly 2,000 people, highlighting the lethal risks of volcanic lakes.

Sources

diariopanorama.com · osul.com.br · rfi.fr · televisao.sapo.pt