Orange smoke billows out of Congolese volcano

Nyamuragira, is the correct spelling

What causes orange smoke? Sulphur?

If ever there was an article that called for a picture then it is this on. (Instead of all the articles where we get mugshots of some smiling researcher - which is human and all, but not really relevant to the scientific content)

What causes orange smoke? Sulphur?

sulphur appears yellowish but can also seem orangish depending on the lighting and composition.

http://www.scienc...t_others

Basu analyzed the lava, which resides in the world's largest lava lakemore than 600 feet wide inside the summit of Nyiragongoand found that the isotopic compositions of neodymium and strontium are identical to ancient asteroids.

Agree with Anatalias Physorg - I've yet to see any photo or film footage of this 'spectacular' eruption.

Found an image of the Nyiragongo Volcano with this story: http://trifter.co...r-earth/

Looks yellow to me. The whole are seems spectacularly dangerous. Google produces a lot of hits for it.

http://ngm.nation...kel-text

Every day the lava lake emits around 7,000 tons of sulfur dioxide

Which would explain that yellow smoke.

http://en.wikiped...iragongo

I haven't watched these except the start as I have download going that is finicky.

Started with shots of villages.
http://www.youtub...eqhjQxb8

Stills at the start but impressive.
http://www.youtub...=related

Starts with night video of lava lake.
http://www.youtub...=related

Ethelred

Thanks for those links, Eth. That last 'night video' has a sort of "Dante-esque" look to it. It looks like a cool type of eruption but I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it.

I am a bit worried about the tree-planting programs run by the leaders of Republic of Congo, which is very close to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The trees have been recently planted in the R of C to prevent deforestation of the country, which has happened already within the Congo Basin. The rainforests are threatened by humans in the other countries nearby R of C. It's admirable that R of C is taking steps to prevent the same from happening in their own country, and perhaps the other countries will follow suit.
However, with sulfurous gases and ash blowing out of the volcano in D.R.of C., the possibility of it raining down on the newly planted trees is very good, depending on weather patterns and wind direction.

http://www.physor...mme.html