Nyamulagira Volcano, Congo
Erupting volcanoes—such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Nyamulagira, pictured earlier this month—can be destructive, frightening, and beautiful. And right now there are at least seven you can see in action now, if you act fast.
When Nyamulagira, Africa's most active volcano, began shooting 65-story fountains of lava weeks ago, officials at Virunga National Park, which contains the 10,032-foot (3,058-meter) peak, struck while the tourism opportunity was hot, setting up guided tours to a tent site within a mile (1.6 kilometers) of the erupting vent.
(Get the full story of the volcano-camp setup, in pictures.)
So far the effort seems to have worked, boosting tourism to Congo—underscoring what a rare thing an accessible, active volcano is.
"There are not many other persistently active volcanoes," said Phil Leat, a volcanologist with the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, U.K. "Most erupt for a while, then stop."
(See more pictures of Nyamulagira volcano's current eruption.)
—Richard A. Lovett
Pictures: 7 Volcanoes Erupting Right Now
If you've ever wanted to see a fire-breathing volcano in person, now might be the time-as shown in our new survey of accessible eruptions.
