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From:
Zsolt Boszormenyi <zsolt.boszormenyi@xxxxxxx>
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Dear Dr. Gerald Ernst,
Report by RSOE EDIS:
GLIDE Number: VE-20070721-12451-TZA
Event type: Volcano Eruption
Date / time [UTC]: 21/07/2007 - 05:00:43
Country: Tanzania
Area: Volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai
County / State: Rift Valley
City:
Cause of event Unknown
Log date [UTC]: 21/07/2007 - 05:00:43
Damage level: Moderate
Latitude: S 2° 45.083 Longitude: E 35° 54.133
Number of deaths: None or No data
Number of injured persons: 2 persons
Number of missing persons: None or No data
Number of infected persons:
Number of evacuated persons: None or No data
Population: No data
Oldonyo Lengai mountain in Tanzania has finally erupted. This brings to
an end the numerous earth tremors that have hit East Africa for the past
week. The seismic waves responsible for the movements emanated from this
point. The powerful eruptions that occurred on Thursday from 10pm will,
according to experts, reduce the underground activity that was
responsible for the tremors. It will also restore calm in the region
that had for the last one week been engulfed in fear and anxiety. Three
days ago, some Nairobi residents spent the night in the cold as they
awaited a major eruption that never occurred. So intense were the fears,
that it took Internal Security minister, Mr John Michuki's efforts to
calm the restless nation. But on Thursday, thousands of Maasai herdsmen
living around the area vacated their homes in the wake of a trail of the
eruptions, that left two children injured and a school damaged.
Media reports in Tanzania indicated that the molten lava spewing from
the crater scalded two school children. The activity also damaged a
300-capacity Meigoi Primary school around the area. But no deaths were
reported. Experts said people in the area that experienced the tremors
can now smile and thank God for the eruption as the tremors are for gone
now. Dr Eliud Mathu, head of Geology Department at the University of
Nairobi, noted that the lava emanating from the mountain was not very
hot. He added that the gases are not poisonous enough to affect
residents. "It is a sigh of relief and we can now thank God that all is
well," Mathu told the Saturday Standard by telephone. Mathu said the
lava, which recorded heat of 510 degrees centigrade is 'relatively cool'
compared to the hottest, which is normally 1,100 degrees centigrade.
According to reports in the "Guardian" of Tanzania, more than 1,500
people, most of them Maasai families, vacated their homes in Ngaresero,
Orbalal and Nayobi villages following the tremors that triggered the
volcanic eruption.
Villagers are reported to have heard roaring on the rugged geographic
feature they call 'Mountain of God' before the volcano started
discharging ash and lava. Tanzanian authorities have since warned
tourists to keep off the area for security reasons. Mathu concurred,
saying the area should be avoided until after two weeks when the lava
will have cooled. The mountain is the world's only active volcano that
emits natrocarbonatite lava, which Mathu said has got no capability to
flow further than about two kilometers from the mountain. This kind of
lava, which almost contains no silicon, is also much cooler in
temperature compared to other emissions, he said. Mount Oldonyo Lengai
is 3,450 metres above sea level and is located south of Lake Natron on
the Tanzania-Kenya border. According to an official at the Kenya
Meteorological Department, Mr Samuel Mwangi, the eruptions normally
throw volcanic ash into the environment, which causes pollution. "The
pollution changes the characteristics of the atmosphere making the air
very dirty," said Mwangi.)
Situation update at 2007.07.24:
A volcano in northern Tanzania erupted on Friday, spewing small amounts
of smoke and lava, the government spokesman said. Mt. Oldonyo Lengai,
which is close to the border with Kenya, is believed to be the source of
a series of shallow earthquakes experienced in the region over the past
week, said Alfred Mutua, the Kenyan government spokesman. "Scientists
believe this (the eruption) has reduced the pressure that was there,
hence the decrease of the tremors," Mutua said in a brief statement. The
U.S. Geological Survey said that the series of earthquakes experienced
since July 14 are a phenomenon known as "seismic swarm." The highest
magnitude of earthquake recorded so far was 6.0 on the Richter scale
registered on Tuesday, which was felt throughout northern Tanzania and
parts of neighboring Kenya. The U.S. Geological Survey said that swarm
in Tanzania is situated close to Mt. Oldonyo Lengai. "Although volcanic
eruptions are often preceded and accompanied by earthquake swarms, most
earthquake swarms are not associated with volcanic eruptions," the U.S.
Geological Survey said on its Web site.
Link: RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service - AlertMap
<http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?cid=12451&cat=dis&lang=eng>
Best regards,
Zsolt Boszormenyi
Head of RSOE EDIS
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