Cameroon’s ‘Exploding Lakes’: Disaster Expert Warns Deadly Gas Release Could Cause Another Tragedy
Henry Ngenyam Bang | Phys.org | Sept. 12, 2022

A sudden change on 29 August 2022 in the color and smell of Lake Kuk, in north-west Cameroon, has caused anxiety and panic among the local residents. Fears are driven by an incident that happened 36 years ago at Lake Nyos, just 10km away.

On 21 August 1986, Lake Nyos emitted lethal gases (mainly carbon dioxide) that suffocated 1,746 people and around 8,300 livestock. It wasn’t the first incident like this. Two years earlier, Lake Monoum, about 100km south-west of Lake Nyos, killed 37 people.

Research into the cause of the Lake Nyos disaster concluded that carbon dioxide gas—released from the Earth’s mantle—had been accumulating at the bottom of the lake for centuries. A sudden disturbance of the lake’s waters due to a landslide resulted in a sudden release of around 1.24 million tons of carbon dioxide gas.

Survivors briefly heard a rumbling sound from Lake Nyos before an invisible gas cloud emerged from its depths. It killed people, animals, insects and birds along its path in the valley before dispersing into the atmosphere where it became harmless.

!

After Lake Nyos erupted, its water turned a deep red color and survivors reported the smell of rotten eggs. These are the same characteristics to have recently manifested at Lake Kuk. The change in color of Lake Nyos was only noticed after the gas burst.. . . tens of thousands of people living around the lake were urged to “remain calm while being vigilant to continuously inform the administration of any other incident noted.”

“Remain calm: it’s only a sudden release of 1.24 million tons of carbon dioxide gas that kills people, animals, insects and birds along its path.”

. . . it’s important to know which lakes are at risk of “exploding.”

— Duh —

. . . . They are at an even greater risk of explosion when the lakes sit in wide or large craters where there are disturbances.

(I could have told you that.)

Investigating all the crater lakes in Cameroon would be a logistical challenge. It would require significant funding, a DIVERSE scientific team, technical resources and transportation to the lakes. Since most of the crater lakes are in remote areas with poor communication network (no roads, rail or airports), it would take a couple of years for the work to be completed.

— say the $cientist$.