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INTO THE VOLCANO

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INTO THE VOLCANO
INTO THE VOLCANO By: Crane, Cody, Science World, 10411410, 11/14/2011, Vol. 68, Issue 5

Into the Volcano Summary Paper

INTO THE VOLCANO

This paper explores the article featured in Science World (2011) entitled Into the Volcano. The article reviews volcanic activity, scientist’s interpretation of the activity, and a plethora of other surrounding and supportive information. In the war ridden country of Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo lays Nyiragongo. Nyiragongo, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, is classified as a stratovolcano. It is composed of alternate layers of lava and ash. A group of scientists repelled into the crater to get a better examination and understanding of the volcano. Their intentions in examining it were to determine, or at least attempt to determine, when the next eruption could occur. Nyiragongo is one of the deadliest volcanoes on earth, and in the past few decades, has wreaked havoc on the residents in the city surrounding its base. The city surrounding its base is Goma, which is home to an estimated 1 million people. The location of the volcano has classified Goma as one of the most deadly cities in the world.
Many times volcanoes are found in chains. The Nyiragongo is just a link in a chain of 8 different volcanoes found in the Virunga Mountain range. The location of this volcano is literally in a place where the continent of Africa is drifting apart(Asish Basu). The chain of the 8 volcanoes ranges to approximately 1,200 miles. Because the continent is drifting apart, magma rises from below to fill the gap in the earth’s surface. The magma that rises to fill this crack crates what is called a bench.
Throughout Nyiragongo’s history there have been violent and silent eruptions. Lava exploded from the fissureson the mountain, covering half of the city of Goma (2002). This eruption resulted in the death of 100 people, and left over 100,000 people homeless. Because of the

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