Volcanologists in the D.R. Congo reported that the intensity of the lava flows decreased in March, but there was a large amount of smoke and relatively high seismic activity. While the intensity of the lava flows lessened, registered seismic activity was at similar levels to December, before the eruption began. Volcanologists visited a new 65-m-high cone named Tumayhini that was formed from the eruption. Two other new cones, named Amani and Kadago, grew on the N side of the volcano.

Geological Summary. Africa's most active volcano, Nyamulagira (also known as Nyamuragira), is a massive high-potassium basaltic shield about 25 km N of Lake Kivu and 15 km NE of the steep-sided Nyiragongo volcano. The summit is truncated by a small 2 x 2.3 km caldera that has walls up to about 100 m high. Documented eruptions have occurred within the summit caldera, as well as from the numerous flank fissures and cinder cones. A lava lake in the summit crater, active since at least 1921, drained in 1938, at the time of a major flank eruption. Recent lava flows extend down the flanks more than 30 km from the summit as far as Lake Kivu; extensive lava flows from this volcano have covered 1,500 km2 of the western branch of the East African Rift.

Source: US Agency for International Development / Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance