Lake Kivu is shared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is known for dissolved methane gas.
The lake lies in the Albertine Rift, one of Africa’s major tectonic zones. It is about 2,700 square kilometres in area and is among the world’s deepest lakes, reaching roughly 475 metres. Its deep waters contain large quantities of dissolved carbon dioxide and methane.
Lake Kivu is one of Africa’s “exploding lakes,” a term for deep lakes that can potentially undergo a dangerous limnic eruption. Scientists monitor its gas-rich lower layers because a sudden overturn could release suffocating gases. Unlike Lake Nyos, however, Kivu is much larger and has significant methane resources being extracted for energy.
The cities of Goma and Bukavu sit on or near its shores. Lake Kivu is distinct from Lake Tanganyika, which lies farther south and is much larger in both area and volume.