Lake Nyos

Lake Nyos is a large body of water located in Cameroon, Africa. It’s very deep and sits on top of a volcano type mountain. The water in the lake has a lot of dissolved gases called carbon dioxide, which is released from the volcano underneath it. Normally, these gases stay at the bottom of the lake because they are heavier than water. However, in 1986, something went wrong and the carbon dioxide gases came up to the surface and caused a huge disaster.

It was like a soda bottle that was left open for too long; the gases needed to escape, and once they reached the top, they gushed out in a big and sudden way. At Lake Nyos, the carbon dioxide gas caused a massive explosion that sent a cloud of harmful gas into the air. All living creatures near the lake - humans, animals, and fish - were affected by the gas cloud. They could not breathe properly, and many died.

Scientists have since put in place ways to make sure a disaster like this never happens again. They removed some of the carbon dioxide from the lake by pumping water from the bottom of the lake to the surface so the gas could escape gradually without causing any more harm. Now, Lake Nyos is closely monitored, and everyone, including fish, is living safely.