Volcano dubbed ‘Mountain of God’ could erupt soon, scientists say

A volcano dubbed the Mountain of God could be on the verge of erupting.

Scientists have discovered that Ol Doinyo Lengai, a volcano in the north of Tanzania, has swelling around its base. That is one sign which indicates it could erupt soon .

As eruption is a constant threat with the Mountain of God volcano, scientists are working to better keep the surrounding communities safe.

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The scientists were able to detect the signs using satellite observations. Researchers at Virginia Tech worked with scientists from Ardhi University, the Tanzanian government, Korea Institute for Geoscience and Mineral Resources, the University of Maryland, and Colgate University.

The area begins to swell due to pressure inside the volcano’s magma reservoir. It causes the land to bulge, but will fall flat again when pressure decreases.

The 9,718-foot-tall Mountain of God is the only volcano to produce carbonatite lava, which erupts as black or gray but then turns white when it cools.

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The volcano has been active since the 1880s, but just in short periods of time. It was difficult for scientists and local authorities to monitor the volcano’s activity until 2016, when they installed sensors that collect data using Global Navigation Satellite Systems.

“This research could help Tanzanian authorities have a better idea of what is happening with the volcano,” said Ntambila Daud, graduate student at Virginia Tech working on the volcano study.

It last erupted in 2007 and spread ashes for more than 10 miles. Thousands of people had to be evacuated at the time.

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