{UAH} Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano, Tanzania

Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano, Tanzania

Ol Doinyo Lengai, "Mountain of God" in the Maasai language, is located in the north of Tanzania near Lake Natron and is part of the volcanic system of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. Altitude - 2962 m. The volcano is located in a part of the fault zone, which is called Grid Sikes, where, as expected, the crust is particularly thin. This is - one of the most unusual volcanoes in the world. The only one that spews natrocarbonatite lava.

Image credit Joanna Rigby-Jones

The composition of the lava is such that allows the volcano explode at sufficiently low temperatures. The melt temperature of 510-600 ° C. It is the coldest and molten lava in the world, it flows along the ground like water. Color hot lava - black or dark brown, but after a few hours of exposure to air carbonate melt brightens, and several months later becomes almost white (so that it does not snow - as it might seem at first sight). Solidified lava carbonate - soft and brittle, easily soluble in water, apparently, so geologists find no trace of similar eruptions in ancient times.

Image credit Ali Whitehouse

The sun lava crystal components (sodium carbonate) sparkle like diamonds. In the fog, on the contrary, the lava becomes almost invisible - quietly flowing down the slopes, she catches by surprise tourists, suddenly finds his shoes burning. This unusual volcano is very active and often erupts, which is why all the nearby area within a radius of 100 kilometers constantly covered with ashes. In the neighborhood you can also see extinct volcanoes that are fellow Ol Doina Lengai, but I have not spew black lava. Researchers report that the eruption of the volcano to a height of about 1000 meters thick black flies column of ash.

Image credit Valentin Rüst

Image credit lolula

Image credit lolula

Image credit Ched

Climb the volcano is possible. But will have to overcome the little trouble. Approximately half of the route passed, the promotion becomes much slower, since feet are slipping back and drown. This walking at an altitude much exhausting. The trail was our hardened lava on which to go hard and dangerous, and volcanic ash in which the legs are buried up to his ankles. Place a layer of lava reaches half a meter deep, and it shows through thick grass, which a few years ago were covered slopes all the way to the top. Closer to the top begins to be felt odor. At the top is blowing strong and cold wind. A descent is even more dangerous than climbing the mountain.

Image credit Tineke Speelman

Ol Doinyo Langai in Tanzania is the only volcano in the world that erupts natrocarbonatite lava, which is rich in calcium, sodium, and potassium, but low in silica. The lava of Ol Doinyo Lengai is extremely cool and relatively fluid. Ol Doinyo Lengai alternates between eruptions of liquid lava that form lava lakes and fountains and explosive eruptions that build large cinder and ash cones. ASU-IPF-3021. Image credit Lunar and Planetary Institute

Image credit Tineke Speelman

Image credit Dorien K. uit A.

A "historic" photo - an eruption from one of the hornitos (small spatter cones), now buried by the new ash cone growing since Sep 2007 in the active crater of Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano (northern Tanzania) Image credit Tom Pfeiffer