Lava lakes of Erta Ale volcano. Lake of Fire Erta Ale Ancient volcano in Ethiopia

general information

The volcano has been continuously active since 1967; at the same time, streams of hot lava periodically pour out from its crater (such volcanoes, formed from layers of spilled lava, are called shield volcanoes). With each of its eruptions it rises higher and higher above the Danakil depression; Now its height is already 613 m.

In 1971, an expedition led by Garun Taziev conducted the first study of the Erta Ale volcano. The gas outlet temperature ranged from 1125 to 1200° C. The thermal radiation power of the lake averaged 30 kilowatts per square meter. The temperature directly in the melt mass was 600° on the surface of the dark crust, and 900° at a depth of 70 centimeters.

IN last years Erta Ale volcano has become more unpredictable. If in 2004 the lake in the crater of the volcano turned into a tectonic stronghold, remaining in this state for almost 20 months, then in November 2010 the volcano woke up with unexpected force. The lake continually changes its level and pattern of fiery stripes, and lava flows periodically from it. Since February 2010, the lake level has risen by more than 30 meters, which ultimately led to the overflow of the lake and explosive releases of hot lava droplets into the air from November 2010. The eruption was accompanied by tremors, which significantly affected the condition of the faults in the north. East Africa. Scientists are closely monitoring changes in the volcano's activity, as it is located in an important seismic zone called the Afar Triangle. Noticeable plate shifts and an increase in the width of faults can significantly change geographical map our planet, in particular, affect the entire continent of Africa.

Erta Ale Volcano (Ethiopia) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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“Smoking Mountain” - this is how the name of the Erta Ale volcano is translated from Ethiopian, but those who saw it with their own eyes prefer to call it less sublimely and more specifically - the road to hell. And this is not an exaggeration at all: Erta Ale is one of the few constantly active volcanoes on the planet with regular eruptions and two whole lakes of red-hot lava “included”. Such a violent temperament is not at all surprising: Erta Ale is located in the very heart of the Afar Triangle - a zone of intense volcanic activity, where, like billions of years ago, the formation of the Earth's surface continues. However, the hellish conditions of “vacation” on Erta Ale do not frighten avid travelers: every year about a thousand tourists come here to stand on the edge of a hot crater, admiring the play of the fiery fissures of the lava lake, wander along the slopes black from solidified lava and simply breathe the Erta Ale air, temperature which reaches +50 °C.

A little geography

The Erta Ale volcano is located in northeastern Ethiopia in the remote Afar region of the Danakil Desert, a center of volcanic activity East Africa and one of the few places on the planet where active volcanoes with lava lakes in the crater. Erta Ale is also famous for the fact that there are two such lakes near the volcano - this makes it the only volcano of its kind on Earth. The volcano has been continuously active since 1967 and has previously had several major eruptions, the earliest records of which date back to the 1600s. Regular lava eruptions are one of the characteristic features Eartha Ale. Thanks to the lava pouring onto the slopes and then solidifying, the volcano grows - today it reaches 613 m (its base is located at 75 m below sea level). The caldera - the volcano basin - stretches for 1.6 km with a width of 700 m and includes two lava lake width 350 and 65 m.

What to see

In Erta Ale, without exaggeration, everything is beautiful: the coal-black slopes formed by centuries-old eruptions of hot lava, the impressively sized basin, and the hellish crater itself, on the edge of which it is so pleasant to sit and think about the eternal. Erta Ale is an attraction “for its own people”, therefore tourism infrastructure there is none here: the crater of the volcano is not even fenced, and therefore it is necessary to exercise extreme caution, and it is better to forget about selfies altogether. As a souvenir of the volcano, you can take a piece of frozen lava - according to reviews from experienced gardeners, it is also an excellent fertilizer.

Erta Ale is especially beautiful at night, when fiery cracks in the lava lakes illuminate the slopes of the crater with a bright orange light - as if the damper of a steel furnace has been opened.

A trip to Erta Ale is often combined with a visit to the Valley of Dalol Geysers - a shallow depression covered with a layer of very salty water with salt crystals rising above the surface and geysers swirling everywhere.

Practical information

Closest to Erta Ale locality- Makele city. Several tour operators offer 3-5 day 4WD jeep tours to the volcano and an 8-day camel trek. It should be borne in mind that the area is inhabited by Afar tribes that are not the friendliest to tourists.

Hot Ethiopia has many natural attractions. Interestingly, they are completely opposite in their appearance. Picturesque lake Tana, which is a real breath of life among the hot deserts, National parks, savannas and many kilometers of desert sands, amazing volcanoes. Erta Ale Volcano is a landmark of Ethiopia, which is as famous throughout the world as it is fantastic.

Ancient volcano in Ethiopia

“Smoking Mountain” is how the name of this hot “lake” is translated from the local dialect. Erta Ale is located below sea level in the “Afar Triangle”, where there is constant volcanic activity.

The volcano's caldera measures 1.6 x 0.7 km. By origin it is a basaltic shield volcano. Since 1967, the restless formation has periodically disturbed the environment with new eruptions of lava.

Lava lake in the Erta Ale crater

In the northeast of the country, in the hot Afar region, there is a famous lake, in the crater of which a hot lake splashes, in which instead of water there is viscous boiling lava. There are only five similar volcanoes in the world. Erta Ale “distinguished himself” here too. It is the only one in which there are two boiling lakes at once!

From a bird's eye view, the boiling water looks very beautiful. Red-orange fiery stripes are visible on its surface, the pattern of which is constantly changing. At times, lava overflows the bowl of the lake of fire and flows out in powerful streams.

In 2007, a flow of hot lava formed a new pattern. February 2010 was the starting point when the lava level began to rise rapidly. 30 meters - and in November of the same year, hot drops rose into the air with pops and explosions.

Erta Ale Research

One of the unique wonders of nature attracts daredevils who are not afraid of high temperatures and risk to life. Researchers began studying lava lakes in depth in 1971. The expedition, led by Harun Taziev, for the first time carried out a thorough analysis of the lava and the state of the volcano.

The gases coming to the surface were heated to 1220C. The power of thermal radiation reached 30 kW per 1 sq. meter. The temperature in the molten mass was incredible: about +600C on the surface of the volcanic crust, and at a depth of 60-70 cm it reached +900C!

Mysterious and scorched by the hot sun, it hides many surprises. The unusual Erta Ale volcano is a natural attraction that is both dangerous and attractive at the same time.

Lava lakes of Erta Ale volcano photo

I was asked here: why go to Ethiopia?
And I immediately said: “How?! Why?! There’s a lake full of lava!”

And then it cooled down, which is what the lava realized. Probably my delight is difficult to understand for those who have never seen it.
Alas, my brain and heart are forever scorched by the heat of the Tolbachik lava. And having seen this once, I wanted to repeat the banquet. I wanted to feel this unreal heat again with every cell of my skin, to hear this rustling and crackling with which the lava crawls out of the bowels of the Earth.
But they are in the past. But there is the Erta Ale volcano in Ethiopia. Oddly enough, it is considered almost the most accessible volcano with a lava lake.

Erta Ale is a volcano located in the remote Afar region of northeastern Ethiopia. The name of the volcano means “smoking mountain”.

The Erta Ale volcano is located in the Danakil Desert; it lies below sea level and is part of the so-called “Afar Triangle” - a zone of strong volcanic activity.

Around lunchtime we arrived at the place where trekking to the volcano begins.
The volcano was visible on the horizon and was not impressive. Not a volcano, but some kind of misunderstanding.

The sun was not hot like a child's. The air temperature was approaching the boiling point of my brain.
Judging by the sadness of my colleagues - not just mine.
Even a short three-hour trek in such heat poses a danger to unprepared organisms. So before sunset we were offered to settle down in huts, where it was still hot and stuffy, but at least the sun was scorching.

Again, a good chance to get some sleep before a sleepless night.
But I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t sit down. There is a volcano and lava nearby, and here we are...
I wandered around the area impatiently.

Towards evening, military personnel marched towards the volcano. I really wanted to hope that we wouldn’t need them. But rules are rules. The movement of tourists in this region without armed guards is prohibited.

And finally, hurray! The sun crept towards the horizon, and they began to serve us dinner.
- Eat more! Drink more!

I still didn't feel like eating.
Do you want to lose weight? Ask me how...

All things during trekking are carried on camels.
The truth of the things is there: mattresses, water and tourists who cannot get up on their own.

At sunset we began our climb.

The climb itself is an easy walk. In the dark, however, nothing is visible. So you won't be able to admire the scenery. Moreover, you need to be very careful. I literally took a couple of steps to the side, letting the camels pass, and immediately fell into a cavity formed by lava. She escaped with a slight fright and a completely torn leg.

But as soon as it got dark, there were red flashes in the direction where the lava lake was.

Having reached the place where we spent the night, we took a short rest and immediately went to the crater with the lake.

In photographs on the Internet, the lake looks like this: a crater and somewhere far below there is a lake with lava.
But what we saw exceeded all expectations. Over the past five years, the lava level in the lake has risen by 30 meters. As a result, you come and see - here it is lava. At least eat it with a spoon. If, of course, you can get a fireproof suit.

At night the lake looks very impressive. Darkness. Bright red lines constantly changing patterns. And periodically, like fireworks, one or another bubble with lava explodes.

The rustle of a lava flow and a slowly creeping fiery mass.

However, in the dark it is difficult to assess the scale of the lake, the crater and the surrounding reality.

So, after a couple of hours of listening to fireworks, streams, and rustling sounds, we returned to camp.

Everyone chose a place to their liking where to throw the mattress, among sleeping people, stone barriers and camels.
The hotel of a thousand stars welcomed its guests.
As I fell asleep, I habitually waved my hand to Orion, who was spread out directly above my head.

But we literally slept for a couple of hours.
In complete darkness, before dawn, we returned to the lake again. The guys were going to take pictures from a quadcopter. As a result, Borya shot everything he wanted and even made a film.

And we just watched how the sky brightened and the colors changed.

Sasha stubbornly tried to take a selfie in the car mirror (don’t ask why). Borya filmed this wonderful spectacle.

Lava beat in a nervous fit into the banks, observing this spectacle.

In the end, as usual, my mother came and did everything.
Vidocq, of course, is still the same after a sleepless night. Not best time for selfies.

Meanwhile, everything around was becoming brighter. And more and more people came to watch the sunrise.

In the light, the lava was not so brightly fiery. But no less spectacular.
In addition, all the gurgles and overflows could be seen better.

The sun was in no hurry to come out. Everyone stood as close as possible to the lava. Well, as hot as it gets.

And hooray! The sun rose!

One of the most inaccessible volcanoes in the world is Erta Ale. The Great African Rift, 6,000 kilometers long, is located in northern Ethiopia. Deep in the tectonic basin, the earth's crust, under enormous pressure, is torn into three plates, which move away from each other, dividing Africa. Afar Basin (Afar Basin) is located in the active part of the rift, which arose due to volcanic activity.

Features of the Erta Ale volcano

Erta Ale, a mystical volcano located in the Danakil Depression. The Danakil Depression, a piece of land heated by magma, is the most unpredictable geological zone on the planet. The Afar Desert is considered the most inhospitable and hottest on the planet. This desert has always scared off explorers, including because of the cruel customs of the Afar tribes.

Erta Ale is the most inaccessible volcano given its remoteness, temperature changes and hostile environment around. At the bottom of a huge caldera there is a unique lava lake called Erta Ale. There are concentric faults around the lake, constant tremors collapse entire layers along the edges of the crater.

A lava lake is the result of a confluence of many factors; it is a huge accumulation of magma fed from a deep source with its own flow. The hot magma comes out, cools and sinks again, convection occurs. In order for a lava lake to exist for years, it is necessary that the heat of the hot stream feeding the lake exactly compensates for the loss of heat from the surface stream, which then goes back to depth. This mixing of matter is a very fragile and unstable balance. As soon as this balance is disrupted, the lake cools down; for example, in 2004 it froze for 20 months.

A lava lake is just a moment in the life of a volcano, Erta Ale emerged from the depths of the sea and gradually formed about 4 million years ago. The first evidence of the presence of a lava lake in this place dates back to 1890, then no one saw it, but red flashes in the sky clearly indicated the presence of such a phenomenon. The first person to see Erta Ale with his own eyes was Garun Taziev in 1960. The oval caldera is 1800 meters long and 750 meters wide. The volcano has two craters - southern and northern.

A caldera is a huge volcanic crater that requires a very strong eruption that will empty part of the magma reservoir or the entire reservoir. Then, when the magma pocket is emptied, the magma no longer supports the roof of the reservoir and the volcano itself collapses inward, forming a caldera. The caldera is often the same size as the magma reservoir. Over the years, lava filled the caldera to the brim, and it flowed down the southern and northern sides of the crater.

Erta Ale, mystical mountain

Erta Ale - means smoking mountain, Afar legend says that you should not approach its peak because the spirits of shepherds on winged horses fly around it and do not let anyone near it.

A stream of hot, light magma rises and flows across the surface, cools down, becomes heavier, and again sinks to depth, where it dissolves in the magma. The lake is fed from a deep source - a magma reservoir, and below it is a source feeding a rift. The surface of the lake is cooling, but it is still hot and soft, and under the pressure of fresh, constantly rising magma, it folds.

At the other end of the caldera, the Erta Ale volcano, the southern crater is located, there is active fumarole activity. In the depths of the crater, ornithos smoke; they are formed from clots of lava that are layered on top of each other, creating small conical structures. This lake was active until 1987, bubbling just a few meters from the crater ridge, and then it froze for many years. In 2004, lava suddenly appeared in just four days, the whole sky was ablaze with a glow, it was visible 80 kilometers from the volcano.

In the northern and southern craters, there was a time during two years from 1972 to 1974 when both lava lakes overflowed at the same time for two years. Lava filled the caldera to the brim, and then began to flow down the slopes of the volcano on the southern and northern sides.

On the Erta Ale volcano there are goddesses of fire, strength and creation - these are very thin threads of hot ash stretched by the wind, stretching they take the form of long and thin hair. The gases escaping from the volcano consist mainly of steam, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane and a rare gas such as radon.

A lava lake is the top of a magma column that has come to the surface - a kind of window into the bowels of the earth. This lake is permanently connected to a magma chamber located at a depth of 2 kilometers. The subject of research on lava lakes is extensive; for example, by installing microphones as close as possible to the lake, you can measure the pressure of gas bubbles emerging from the magma chamber and bursting on the surface. This way we can conclude about the depth of the volcanic vent, and sometimes about its diameter. Also, using a telemeter, you can accurately determine the level of the lake. Regular fluctuations of the lake are 2 - 3 meters, they are repeated every 2 - 4 hours. Aerial photography allows you to see regular changes in the relief of both craters, landslides, dips, swelling reaching tens of centimeters and even meters.