Limnic+Eruptions

A //Limnic Eruption//, or lake overturn, is when carbon dioxide suddenly erupts from the bottom of a deep lake, suffocating nearby wildlife, humans and livestock. It is a rare type of natural disaster, and has only been documented twice. The first was at a lake called Lake Monoun, near Lake Nyos, and it erupted in 1984, killing 27 people through suffocation. 2 years later in 1986, Lake Nyos erupted, a much bigger and deadlier disaster. It killed between 1,700 and 1,800 people.

Some signs that a lake could limnically active are:
 * Incoming water which contains
 * A cool lake bottom, which indicates there is no direct volcanic interaction with waters
 * Different amounts of Carbon Dioxide in upper and lower thermal layers
 * Being in areas with volcanic tendencies.

Limnic Eruptions occur when a lake is almost completely saturated with CO². It may come from volcanic gas from beneath the lake, or organic substance which has decomposed. The gas is trapped in a bubble underneath the water. When it gets released, it rises and travels downward. As CO² is heavier then air, it will sink down and push the pure air upwards, which is what suffocates the victims.

One of the best ways to explain how a Limnic Eruption works is by using the analogy of a can of soft drink. In both the lake and the can of soft drink, the higher the pressure, the easier the Carbon Dioxide will dissolve. When the pressure is released, so is the Carbon Dioxide. When a soft drink can is opened, the pressure is released, so bubbles form as the Carbon Dioxide comes out. With lakes, the deeper it is, the higher the pressure at the bottom, as that is where the highest pressure is. That is why deep, huge lakes can hold massive amount of Carbon Dioxide. Carbon Dioxide dissolves more in cool water, which is why the bottom of a lake is where the pressure is highest.