I have read in National Geographic Magazine (I think it was September 1987 issue) that Lake Nyos, Cameroon in Africa had "belched" from the build up of C02; released from the rocks surrounding the lake. Lake Nyos had previously been a volcanic vent that had filled with water. I was wondering if you had any idea: 1. what were the triggering mechanisms ( there were some speculations given but I was wondering if they had conclu- sively determined the cause) 2. there had been talk of installing pipes to relieve the C02 build up in the lakes; has there been any progress to release the C02 or devise some sort of monitoring/alert scheme to protect the neighboring villages?

rocky Keith Hamao

Dear Keith:

The cloud of gas burst out of Lake Nyos because a landslide disturbed the stratification with the lake. The stratification (layering) is caused by different amounts of CO2 dissolved in the water. The layers are stable (they don't mix or changes position). The alternative mechanism, that the burst was caused by a phreatic eruption (involving lava into the lake), is not generally accepted.

Dr. Niels Oskarsson proposed reducing the amount of CO2 in the lake by continuously draining the bottom waters from the lake. Water from rainfall would displace an equal volume of water from the bottom of the lake. Over time this would establish low CO2 levels in the lake.

The 1987 conference recommended continuous telemetered monitoring of the deep water temperature, pH, conductivity, and alkalinity of the lake. Unfortunately, no funding or plans for implementation were developed (in 1987).

Thanks for an interesting question.

Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota 

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