Scientists are warning of an impending eruption in Tanzania after discovering the ‘Mountain of God’ volcano is bulging out of the country.
The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano in the north was found to be swelling due to magma flowing beneath the Earth’s surface.
The 3,000-meter-high volcano has been active every 20 to 40 years in the 20th century. It last erupted in 2007, sending ash more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the site and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.
Since March 2022, there has been a “rapid increase” in underground magma volcanic activity in the area surrounding the volcano, signaling impending disaster.
Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano (pictured) is 9,718 feet high and has erupted every 20 to 40 years since records began in the 1880s.
“We were able to detect temporal movements in volcanic activity, and this is a precursor to any kind of eruption,” said Ntambila Daud, a doctoral student at Virginia Tech.
Ol Doinyo Lengai, which means ‘Mountain of God’ in Maasai, is considered a sacred place by the Maasai tribe. They visit the site to pray for healing from illness and infertility and for relief from other ills.
The volcano has only been recorded since the 1880s, but it has erupted nine times since then, with the largest eruption occurring 17 years ago.
The explosion blew ash thousands of feet into the air and spread lava nearly two miles from the western flank.
Ol Doinyo Lengai is also the only volcano in the world that spews carbonite lava, a unique black or gray lava that turns white as it cools.
This is in contrast to other active volcanoes that eject red, orange or yellow lava, which turns deep black when it comes into contact with the air and cools.
The different colors refer to the temperature the lava reaches when it hits the surface. Dark red is a temperature of 887 degrees Fahrenheit, orange is a temperature of 1,652 degrees Fahrenheit, and white is a temperature of 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
D. Sarah Stamps, co-author of the study and associate professor at Virginia Tech, said, “The approach they used in their study has significantly increased our understanding of the dynamic magma drainage system at Ol Doinyo Lengai.”
“This research can help Tanzanian authorities get a better picture of what is happening to the volcano,” she added.
The volcano has erupted nine times, the last time forcing 1,500 people from their homes and sending ash into the air 18 kilometers (11 miles) away.
The team used numerical models to combine the data, which showed that the upward force came from magma that formed about 2.2 kilometers below the volcano’s summit.
This meant an imminent eruption that could not only threaten people living in the area but also hamper tourism and air traffic in Tanzania, the study published in the journal Advancing Earth and Space Sciences.
Before a volcano erupts, magma usually collects in a shallow reservoir underground, lifting the Earth’s surface like a balloon expanding underground.
This bulging precursor could persist for weeks, months or even years before a volcano can erupt, the United States Geological Survey.
The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano spews black or gray lava that turns white as it cools (photo)
The researchers have discovered a bulge in the area around the volcano, which could mean it is about to erupt. A bulge is formed when active magma flows beneath the Earth’s surface and enters a reservoir where it builds up until the volcano explodes.
In July 2007, Ol Doinyo Lengai erupted, spreading ash at least 18 kilometers (11 mi) in the wind direction and lava 1.0 kilometer (0.6 mi) down the volcano’s western flank.
The eruption forced more than 1,500 people from their homes in the villages of Ngaresero, Orbalal and Nayobi, when earthquakes triggered the explosion.
According to a report from the Smithsonian Institution, “villagers heard roars… before the volcano began spewing ash and lava.”
To predict a future eruption, Virginia Tech researchers analyzed seven years of satellite data.
In 2016, the team installed a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), consisting of six satellite sensors, at the foot of the volcano.
GNSS systems detect changes in magma reservoirs that could indicate a future volcanic eruption.
The data showed that there was a “rapid uplift” of the bulge between March and December 2022, and a steady uplift of active magma flowing into the reservoir through August 2023.
The team hopes their findings can help detect future eruptions early and help people prepare for the next explosion.
Dailymail.com has reached out to the researchers for comment.