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Academic research
The 1986 Lake Nyos gas disaster in Cameroon, West Africa
Science
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Open article references → Why editors use it herePeer-reviewed early scientific analysis of water chemistry, dissolved gas, casualties, and the release mechanism.
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Quick read
On the evening of 21 August 1986, a vast quantity of carbon dioxide escaped suddenly from deep water in Lake Nyos, a volcanic crater lake in northwestern Cameroon.
Reviewed 4 August 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
Deep, gas-rich water rose and depressurized, allowing dissolved carbon dioxide to form bubbles and accelerate more water upward.
Reviewed 4 August 2026 -
Uncertainty
The broad carbon dioxide mechanism is strongly supported, but the exact trigger for overturn remains unresolved.
Reviewed 4 August 2026 -
Why it matters
Nyos expanded the known geography of disaster.
Reviewed 4 August 2026
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Quick read