DR Congo Volcanoes
DR Congo has 4 Holocene volcanoes. Note that as a scientific organization we provide these listings for informational purposes only, with no international legal or policy implications. Volcanoes will be included on this list if they are within the boundaries of a country, on a shared boundary or area, in a remote territory, or within a maritime Exclusive Economic Zone. Bolded volcanoes have erupted within the past 20 years. Suggestions and data updates are always welcome ().
Volcano Name | Location | Last Eruption | Primary Volcano Type |
---|---|---|---|
Karisimbi | DR Congo-Rwanda border | 8050 BCE | Stratovolcano |
Nyamulagira | DR Congo | 2022 CE | Shield |
Nyiragongo | DR Congo | 2022 CE | Stratovolcano |
Visoke | DR Congo-Rwanda border | 1957 CE | Stratovolcano |
Chronological listing of known Holocene eruptions (confirmed or uncertain) from volcanoes in DR Congo. Bolded eruptions indicate continuing activity.
Volcano Name | Start Date | Stop Date | Certainty | VEI | Evidence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nyamulagira | 2018 Apr 18 | 2022 Mar 17 (continuing) | Confirmed | Historical Observations | |
Nyamulagira | 2016 Nov 27 | 2017 May 2 | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 2014 May 30 | 2016 May 14 | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 2011 Nov 6 | 2012 Mar 16 (?) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 2010 Jan 2 | 2010 Jan 29 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 2006 Nov 27 | 2006 Dec 5 (?) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 2004 May 8 | 2004 May 28 ± 3 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 2002 Jul 25 | 2002 Sep 16 (?) ± 15 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 2002 May 17 (?) | 2022 Mar 17 (continuing) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 2002 Jan 17 | 2002 Feb 3 (in or after) | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 2001 Feb 6 | 2001 Apr 5 ± 4 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 2000 Jan 27 | 2000 Feb 10 (in or after) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1998 Oct 17 | 1998 Oct 25 (in or after) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1996 Dec 1 | 1996 Dec 5 (in or after) | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1994 Jul 4 | 1994 Aug 25 (in or after) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1994 Jun 23 | 1996 Mar 16 (?) ± 15 days | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1991 Sep 20 | 1993 Feb 8 | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1989 Apr 24 | 1989 Aug 15 ± 5 days | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1987 Dec 30 | 1988 Jan 4 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1986 Jul 16 | 1986 Aug 20 | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1984 Feb 23 | 1984 Mar 14 | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1982 Jun 21 | 1982 Oct 17 ± 15 days | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1981 Dec 25 | 1982 Jan 14 | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1980 Jan 30 | 1980 Feb 24 | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1977 Jan 10 | 1977 Jan 10 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1976 Dec 23 | 1977 Jun 15 ± 5 days | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1971 Mar 24 | 1971 May 5 ± 4 days | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1967 Apr 23 | 1967 May 9 | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1958 Aug 7 | 1958 Nov 21 | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1957 Dec 28 | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Visoke | 1957 Aug 1 | 1957 Aug 3 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1956 Nov 17 | 1956 Nov 18 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1954 Feb 21 | 1954 May 28 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1951 Nov 16 | 1952 Jan 16 | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1951 Jul 25 | 1951 Jul 28 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1948 Mar 1 | 1948 Jul 15 ± 5 days | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1938 Jan 28 | 1940 Jun 25 ± 5 days | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1927 Mar 16 ± 15 days | 1977 Jan 10 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1921 | 1938 Jan 17 ± 3 days | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1920 | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1920 | 1921 | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1918 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1912 Dec 3 | 1913 Apr | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1911 Aug | 1911 Oct | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1909 May | 1909 May | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | [1908 Dec 1 ± 30 days] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Nyamulagira | 1908 | Unknown | Confirmed | Historical Observations | |
Nyamulagira | 1907 Nov 7 | 1907 Dec 5 | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1907 Apr | 1907 May | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | [1906] | [Unknown] | Uncertain | ||
Nyiragongo | 1906 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1905 Jul 22 | 1905 Sep 25 (in or after) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1905 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1904 Apr | 1904 May 16 (?) | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1902 Apr 22 (?) | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1902 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1901 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1901 | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1900 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1899 Feb | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1899 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1898 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1896 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1894 Jun | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1894 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyiragongo | 1891 (in or before) | Unknown | Confirmed | Unknown | |
Visoke | 1891 | Unknown | Confirmed | Unknown | |
Nyiragongo | 1884 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations |
Nyamulagira | 1882 | Unknown | Confirmed | Historical Observations | |
Nyamulagira | 1865 | Unknown | Confirmed | Historical Observations | |
Nyamulagira | 1550 ± 100 years | Unknown | Confirmed | Radiocarbon (corrected) | |
Karisimbi | 8050 BCE (?) | Unknown | Confirmed | Potassium-Argon |
There are 46 photos available for volcanoes in DR Congo.

NASA Landsat and SRTM image, 2002.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1982.

NASA Landsat image, 1999 (courtesy of Hawaii Synergy Project, Univ. of Hawaii Institute of Geophysics & Planetology).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1982.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1973.

Photo by Simon Carn, 2004 (TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, University of Maryland, Baltimore County).

Photo by Simon Carn, 2004 (TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, University of Maryland, Baltimore County).

Photo by Jack Lockwood, 1994 (U.S. Geological Survey).

Photo by Jack Lockwood, 1994 (U. S. Geological Survey).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1977.

Photo by Henry-Luc Hody, 1989 (Belgian ambassador).

Photo by Simon Carn, 2004 (TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, University of Maryland, Baltimore County).

Photo by Henry-Luc Hody, 1989 (Belgian ambassador).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1980.

Photo by Henry-Luc Hody, 1990 (Belgian ambassador).

Photo by Wafula, 2005.

Photo by D. Meurhaeghe, 1987.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1980.

Aerial photograph courtesy of Henry Luc Hody (Belgian ambassador).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1977.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1982.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1973.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1982.

Photo by Henry-Luc Hody, 1989 (Belgian ambassador).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1982.

NASA Landsat image, 1994.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1982.

NASA Landsat image, 2001 (courtesy of Simon Carn, TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, Univ. Maryland, Baltimore County).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1980.

Photo by Jack Lockwood, 1994 (U.S. Geological Survey).

Photo by Simon Carn, 2004 (TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, University of Maryland, Baltimore County).

Photo by Simon Carn, 2004 (TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, University of Maryland, Baltimore County).

Photo by Minoru Kasahara, 1991 (Hokkaido University).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1982.

Photo by Henry-Luc Hody, 1989.

Photo by Simon Carn, 2004 (TOMS Volcanic Emissions Group, University of Maryland, Baltimore County).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1980.

Photo by B. Martinelli, 1994 (courtesy of Jack Lockwood, U.S. Geological Survey).

Aerial photograph courtesy of Henry Luc Hody (Belgian ambassador).

Photo by D. Meurhaeghe, 1986.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1982.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2018 (https://www.planet.com/).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1980.

Photo courtesy of Henry-Luc Hody, 1986 (Belgian ambassador).

Photo by Minoru Kasahara, 1991 (Hokkaido University).

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1977.
This is a compilation of DR Congo volcano information sources, such as official monitoring or other government agencies.
Volcano Observatories | |
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Goma Volcano Observatory (GVO) | |
Virunga Volcanoes | |
Virunga Volcanoes Supersite |
Additional Information Sources | |
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Virunga National Park |
Volcanic Ash Advisory Center | |
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Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Notices and Archive |