Due to the volcanic activity, the lake here is extremely alkaline, and the pH can even reach above 10.
If animals enter this lake by mistake, they will be calcified by the lake water and gradually become stone statues, like the mythical Medusa living in the lake.
Of course, the same goes for people.
The flamingo carcass on Lake Natron. After petrifying the animal, Lake Natron will wash the animal bones to the shore. The photo is by photographer Rick Brandt Patchwork.
Picture Source: Hasted Kraeutler Gallery, New York 2013
Moreover, the surface of Lake Natron looks very clean, with blue sky and white clouds clearly reflecting.
If the birds and animals are unfortunately confused by the lake surface, thinking that the lake surface is the sky, they plunge in, waiting for them is the fate of “petrification”.
Do you think that Lake Karachay in Russia and Lake Natron in Tanzania are already very dangerous?
Actually, compared to the two lakes below, Lake Monauen in Cameroon(Lake Monoun) and Lake Nyos(Lake Nyos), the danger level of the two lakes above will be overshadowed.
These two lakes next to each other in Cameroon have caused mass deaths.
1. “Killing Lake” commits crimes
Cameroon, a small West African country, experienced two appalling deaths in the 1980s.
The first was on August 15, 1984. In the early morning of this morning, 37 people died inexplicably in the village near Lake Monauen. These people died violently on the way to the neighboring village, and there was no obvious trace of struggle before their death. .
This bizarre phenomenon makes people wonder if these people died of biological and chemical weapons secretly developed by an organization.
Out of concerns about biological and chemical weapons, a few months later, the U.S. government appointed Professor Siguson of the University of Rhode Island to Cameroon to study what it was all about.
After investigating, the professor found that the deceased died from asphyxiation, not from the so-called biochemical weapons.
The question is, how can people suffocate and die if they walk on an open road with ease?
Professor Siguson analyzed the location of the crime and found that all the victims had died near Lake Monauen. So he went to Lake Monauen with questions to find answers.
He used a sampling bottle to extract the lake water. At this time, a lot of bubbles appeared in the bottle. He concluded that the lake must be full of gas.
Finally, he detected carbon dioxide in the lake water sample. High concentrations of carbon dioxide can suffocate people, so he concluded that the real culprit of this tragedy was the carbon dioxide in the lake.
What is it that can cause explosions, produce unpleasant gas, and cause burns? Scientists thought of a volcanic eruption, but when they tested the water of Lake Nyos, they found no trace of the eruption, so they had to rule out the possibility of volcanic eruption. At this time, Professor Siguson discovered that the water at the bottom of Lake Monauen contained exactly the same carbon dioxide as the carbon dioxide deep in the surface. He speculated that the carbon dioxide in Lake Monauen came from deep underground. Due to the extreme pressure and pressure in the deep lake water, the carbon dioxide escaping from the cracks in the crustal rocks is dissolved in the lake water by high pressure. He further speculated that the tragedy of Lake Monauen was caused by the release of high pressure in the lake and a large amount of carbon dioxide gas gushing out of the lake, causing a murder. The same speculation applies to the Lake Nyos case. A large amount of carbon dioxide gushes out of the lake, causing a small tsunami on Lake Nyos. Image source: Boredomtherapy Scientists have detected carbon dioxide in the deep water of Lake Nyos. They also discovered that a landslide occurred before the tragedy of Lake Nyos. Those rocks on the mountain fell into the lake, breaking the pressure balance at the bottom of the lake, and disaster happened. 2. The lake endangering 2 million people To kill so many people in just a few hours, the danger of these two lakes in Cameroon is amazing. but> This lake was formed by a fault and has many rocky shores and rugged. On its north shore, there is a 3470-meter-high Nyiragongo volcano, which happens to be a place where crustal movement is active. Lake Kivu, like Lake Monauen and Lake Nyos, has a large amount of carbon dioxide and other gases, especially methane, stored deep in the lake. The internal structure of Lake Kivu is relatively stable. This is because the water at the bottom of the lake has a high salt content, while the water source in Lake Kivu is freshwater, and a density gradient is formed between the two. The lake has different levels from bottom to top. The lower the lake, the higher the degree of mineralization and the greater the density of the lake; below the depth of 250 meters, the lake is completely static. So, both carbon dioxide and methane are suppressed deep in the bottom of the lake. But this stability is only temporary. Once this state is broken by external forces, it will cause a huge disaster. Compared with the many dangers contained in the lake, the surface of Lake Kivu appears calm and beautiful. Image source: Wikipedia Scientists’ research on the sediments of Lake Kivu shows that in the past 6000 years, Lake Kivu has experienced at least five overturns. Tragedies like Lake Nyos have been performed many times in the history of Lake Kivu. If the danger level of Lake Monauen and Lake Nyos is compared to a “bomb”, the danger level of Lake Kivu can definitely be called an “atom bomb.” As a result, Lake Kivu is a famous large lake in Africa. Its area is 2000 times larger than Lake Nyos; Secondly, there are about 2 million residents around Lake Kivu, which is much more than Lake Nyos. Once a disaster occurs, the affected population will far exceed other lakes; ThreeFor 2 million people, it is a great threat. 3. “deflate” Lake Kivu To avoid such terrible consequences, a safe way is to “deflate”. Although the methane at the bottom of Lake Kivu may cause disasters, it is also an important natural gas fuel. Be aware that all countries in East Africa are facing severe power shortages. Take Rwanda as an example. Of the 12 million people, 80% still lack power grids. Those who live on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo face a more serious power crisis. The power grid in the Democratic Republic of Congo is aging, with only 2,400 megawatts of installed capacity. Coupled with poor infrastructure, half of the power grid cannot be used normally. East Africa ranks last in terms of electricity consumption per capita around the world. Image source: Our Finite World If the methane in Lake Kivu can be taken out, it can increase the power generation capacity of 960 megawatts, which is equivalent to more than six times the current power generation in Rwanda. If the power problem can be improved, it is expected to improve the economic situation of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, alleviate poverty to a certain extent, and provide more people with employment opportunities. Schematic diagram of Lake Kivu exhaust project. Image source: Gas to Power Journal But to “deflate” Lake Kivu is not a simple matter. First of all, Lake Kivu is too large and deep, and it requires a lot of exhaust pipes and supporting devices; Secondly, the economic level of Lake Kivu is not well developed, and the successful extraction of methane requires full cooperation between countries. U.S. energy company Contour Global once spent US$200 million in the project Kivu Watt (KivuWatt). This is the first industrial-scale power project that uses natural gas as fuel. Ideally, it can add 25 megawatts of electricity and eventually expand to 100 megawatts. The industrial ship of the Kivu Watt project on Lake Kivu. Image source: ContourGlobal Symbion Power, another American company, also plans to build a 50-megawatt project on the Rwanda coast of Lake Kivu. However, it is still difficult to safely discharge the gas. Although the Rwandan government has been operating a pilot gas-fired power plant in Lake Kivu since 2008, the mining method has no experience to follow and the scale is small. Because Lake Kivu contains methaneDeep water has high salt content, high density, and rich nutrients. If released near the surface, it may damage the lake’s ecosystem and weaken the density of lake water. Moreover, if the ecological environment of the lake is destroyed, the dead animals and plants will also produce methane if they are not cleaned up in time. The industrial ships of the Kivu Watt project pumped gas from Lake Kivu through pipes. Image source: MIT Technology Review Although there are currently many international companies implementing exhaust projects in Rwanda, the relevant technology is still immature. Before large-scale mining operations, the actual operating efficiency and how much electricity can be generated remain unclear. Lake Kivu, the most dangerous lake in the world, is still seriously threatening the lives of 2 million people. Lake Kivu spans the two countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. History has given people on this land too many disasters. However, the suffering has no end, and we have to face the threat of Lake Kivu. However, Lake Kivu, like the general fate of mankind, has both the danger of disaster and the revelation of turning crisis into opportunity. Where to go depends on human choice. Reference materials: Real Life Lore. Why This Lake is the Deadliest in the World. Youtube, 2018-04-06.Jonathan W. Rosenarchive page. Lake Kivu’s Great Gas Gamble. Technologyreview, 2015-04-16. David Bressan. The Killer Lakes Of Africa-A Rare But Dangerous Volcanic Phenomenon. Forbes, 2016-08-31. This article is from WeChat official account:Understand knowledge (ID: mingbaizhishi), author: understand knowledge er