The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- John Furner
Scientists are warning of an impending eruption in Tanzania after discovering the country’s ‘Mountain of God’ volcano is bulging.
The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, located in the north, was found to be swelling due to magma flowing beneath the Earth’s surface.
The 9,718-foot-tall volcano has been active every 20 to 40 years throughout the 20th century, with its last eruption in 2007 spreading ash more than 10 miles away from the site and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.
There has been a ‘rapid uplift’ in underground magma volcanic activity in the land surrounding the volcano since March 2022, posing a sign of imminent doom.
The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano (pictured) is 9,718 feet tall and has erupted every 20 to 40 years since the earliest recordings in the 1880s
‘We have been able to detect transient motion in volcanic activity, and this is a precursor for any kind of eruption,’ said Ntambila Daud, a graduate student at Virginia Tech.
Ol Doinyo Lengai – meaning ‘Mountain of God’ in Maasai – is considered to be a sacred site by the Maasai tribe who visit it to pray for cures to illness and infertility and ask for relief from any other misfortunes.
Records of the volcano only go back to the 1880s, but it has erupted nine times since with the largest occurring 17 years ago.
The explosion sent ash thousands of feet into the air and spread lava nearly two miles away from its western flank.
Ol Doinyo Lengai is also the only one in the world to spew carbonite lava, a uniquely black or gray-colored lava that turns stark white when it cools.
This contrasts with other active volcanoes that project red, orange or yellow-colored lava that will turn a deep black color when it’s exposed to the air and cools.
The different colors relate to the temperature the lave reaches when it hits the surface, with dark red being measured at 887 degrees Fahrenheit, orange at 1,652 degrees Fahrenheit, and white clocking at 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
The study’s co-author and Virginia Tech associate professor D. Sarah Stamps said, ‘The approach used in [their research] provided important steps forward in our understanding of the dynamic magma plumbing system of Ol Doinyo Lengai.’
‘This research could help Tanzanian authorities have a better idea of what is happening with the volcano,’ she added.
The volcano has erupted nine times, with the last occurrence forcing 1,500 people from their homes and sending ash into the air that traveled 11 miles away from the site
The team used numerical modeling to combine the data, suggesting the uplift originated from magma that stemmed from a depth of about 1.4 miles below the volcano’s summit.
This signified an impending eruption that could not only pose a threat to people living in the area but also prevent tourism and air traffic in Tanzania, according to the study published in the journal Advancing Earth and Space Sciences.
Before a volcano erupts, magma will typically gather in a shallow reservoir under the land that causes the Earth’s surface to lift – like a balloon expanding underground.
This bulging precursor could continue for weeks, months or even years before a volcano can erupt, according to the US Geological Survey.
The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano spews black or gray lava that turns white when it cools (pictured)
The researchers have detected bulging in the area surrounding the volcano that could indicate it’s due to erupt. Bulging occurs when active magma flows under the Earth’s surface, ending up in a reservoir where it builds until the volcano explodes
In July 2007, Ol Doinyo Lengai erupted, sending ash at least 11 miles downwind and spewed lava that traveled .6 miles down the volcano’s western flank.
The eruption forced more than 1,500 people to vacate their homes in the Ngaresero, Orbalal and Nayobi villages when earthquake tremors triggered the blast.
According to a report by the Smithsonian Institution, ‘villagers are reported to have heard roaring…before the volcano started discharging ash and lava.’
To predict a future eruption, Virginia Tech researchers analyzed satellite data spanning seven years.
The team installed a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) consisting of six satellite-connected sensors at the base of the volcano in 2016.
GNSS systems detect changes in magma reservoirs that can signal a future volcanic blast.
The data revealed there was a ‘rapid uplift’ in bulging between March and December 2022 and a steady uplift in active magma flooding into the reservoir through August 2023.
The team hopes their findings can help to detect future eruptions early and help people prepare for the next explosion.
