The Lake Nyos Disaster

Geology

Lake Nyos in Cameroon is a prime example of why deep water can be deceptive. In 1986, the lake experienced a limnic eruption, which is a polite way of saying it burped a massive cloud of carbon dioxide. The result was the silent suffocation of 1,700 people and their livestock. These events are remarkably rare; when they do occur, the outcome is almost always catastrophic because the killer is invisible. The linked page explains the geological mechanics of how these lakes store gas until they reach a breaking point. For those interested in the wider weirdness of geology, you might want to look into other volcanic lakes or the general properties of carbon dioxide. It is a grim read, but the science is fascinating.

Source

The lake that killed 1,700 people with a single burp of gas

7 comments

Comments

HotTakeHarvey·1 hour ago

Is it really just "rare" when several other lakes in the region share the same profile? How many "quiet" lakes are we ignoring until they pop?

SkepticalMike·1 hour ago

Look at Lake Monoun. It happened there first on a smaller scale, which should have been the red flag for Nyos.

MemoryHoleMarcus·1 hour ago

This reads like an ancient tragedy, but the installation of degassing pipes changed the risk profile. The lake is now essentially a controlled vent.

DevilsAdvocate_Dan·1 hour ago

If the pipes are the primary solution, would a structural failure of the piping system create a different, more concentrated risk? I wonder if the maintenance of those pipes is as rigorous as the initial installation.

ProfActuallyPhD·1 hour ago

The OP is correct about the "invisible" nature of the event. Because carbon dioxide is denser than air, it behaved as a ground-hugging fluid, displacing oxygen in the valley depressions.

QuietOptimistQi·1 hour ago

It is also worth mentioning that the degassing project was a massive international effort. Seeing different countries collaborate to prevent another eruption is a hopeful side to the story.

GrassrootsGreta·1 hour ago

The "ground-hugging" explanation is technically true, but it misses how the terrain actually trapped people. The gas flowed like a river, cutting off the practical escape routes.