Lake Nyos in Cameroon, a crater lake, is known as an 'exploding lake' due to its rare limnic eruptions. On August 21, 1986, ...

August 21, 1986, was a busy market day in the village of Lower Nyos and that evening most people went to bed early. The next morning, some 1,700 people and 3,000 domestic animals were discovered lying ...

When people talk about volcanos, it's common for others to picture the kinds of apocalyptic eruptions often shown in disaster movies — as well as, unfortunately, in recent news. While these ancient ...

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a new travel blog. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura. "I could not speak. I became unconscious. I could not open my mouth because then I ...

The evening of August 21, 1986, was like any other night around Lake Nyos, a deep crater lake high on the slopes of the Massif du Mbam mountain range in northwest Cameroon. Some residents of the local ...

In 1986, Lake Nyos in Cameroon experienced a devastating limnic eruption, releasing a massive carbon dioxide cloud that killed approximately 1,700 people and 3,500 animals. This rare phenomenon, ...

On Monday, Cameroon marks 30 years since its worst natural disaster ever, a toxic gas explosion at Lake Nyos in the northwest that killed 2,000 people and 3,500 animals. The victims say they still ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. David Bressan is a geologist who covers curiosities about Earth. Some African lakes can release deadly clouds of volcanic gases.