How did Lake Kivu form?

The lake was formed by the fall of a fault. Its north-south length of about 88 kilometers, east-west width of about 48 kilometers, the lake area of more than 2,699 square kilometers, the lake elevation of about 1,460 meters, the average depth of roughly 220 meters, the maximum depth of 489 meters. ... It is separated from Lake Edward by a volcanic overflow to the north, and the water flows from the south of the lake through the Ruzizi River into Lake Tanganyika.

Geography

Lake Kivu has a surface area of about 2,700 square kilometers and an elevation of about 1,460 meters. It has a maximum length of 90 kilometers and a maximum width of 48 kilometers. The average depth is 220 meters with a maximum depth of 475 meters. The lake bed sits on the East African Rift Valley, where geological activity has pulled apart the plates on either side of the lake, causing volcanic activity in this region.

There are many islands in the lake, the largest of which is Idjwi. Its neighbors are Bukavu, Kabare, Kalehe, Saké, Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gisenyi, Kibuye, Cyangugu in Rwanda.

The first European to come here was the German explorer Gustav Adolf von G?tzen. He came here in 1894.

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Scientists have found about 55 billion cubic meters of methane and other gases dissolved in Lake Kivu, which is 300 meters deep. The Rwandan government signed an $80 million contract with an international association to extract this methane. The extraction method involves pumping gas-rich water and spraying it high into the air, where the dissolved gases -- mainly carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen sulfide -- bubble up and spill out as soon as the water pressure is reduced and the gases become less soluble.

Methane from Lake Kivu could be used as a cheap source of energy and could also be exported to neighboring countries. The plan could increase Rwanda's energy production and enable it to supply energy to neighboring African countries.

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Volcanoes

Lake Kivu is one of only three lakes known to erupt. The other two are Lake Nyos and Lake Monaun in Cameroon. Scientists have analyzed the geological history of Lake Kivu and found that there are periodic extinctions along the shores of Lake Kivu, occurring about once every 1,000 years. The cause of the eruption of Lake Kivu is currently unknown, but the most likely factor is periodic volcanic activity.

Lakes that erupt emit different types of gases. Lake Kivu has methane and carbon dioxide dissolved in its water and has a volcanic bottom. More than two million people live in the basin around Lake Kivu, so an eruption could cause a tragedy like the 1986 eruption of Lake Nyos. It killed more than 1,500 people.

Scientists hypothesize that once the volcanic action heats up the highly gaseous lake water at the bottom, it would force a massive methane spill and possibly cause a methane explosion. This explosion would also cause the lake to release large amounts of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide would then asphyxiate most of the people living in the lowlands around Lake Kivu. Some scientists believe that when the methane explodes, it creates a "tsunami" in the lake.

Recent analyses and studies of Lake Nyos have shed more light on the potential dangers of Lake Kivu, where in 2001 scientists installed an exhaust pipe to extract gas contained in the deeper waters of the lake.

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