Anatomy of Nyiragongo

Lava Flow
Lava flows are masses of magma that pour onto the Earth's surface during an eruption; they include both moving lava and the resulting solidified deposits of black rock. Lava flows come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. Nyiragongo is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of its particularly fast-moving lava, which can flow more than 60 miles per hour. During the 2002 eruption, swaths of lava up to 165 feet wide tore down Nyiragongo's slopes, burning everything in their path.