Lake Monoun
| Lake Monoun | |
|---|---|
A Landsat 7 satellite image | |
| Coordinates | 5°35′N 10°35′E / 5.583°N 10.583°E |
| Type | Meromictic, limnically active lake, volcanic crater lake |
| Basin countries | Cameroon |
| Max. length | 1.6 km (0.99 mi) |
| Max. width | 0.7 km (0.43 mi) |
| Surface area | 0.31 km2 (0.12 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 99 m (325 ft) |
Lake Monoun is a crater lake (maar) in West Province, Cameroon, that lies in the Oku Volcanic Field. On August 15, 1984, a limnic eruption occurred at the lake, which resulted in the release of a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that killed 37 people. At first, the deaths remained unexplained, and causes such as terrorism were suspected. Further investigation and a similar event two years later at Lake Nyos led to the currently accepted explanation.