Photographer Captures Rare Images of a Lava Lake That’s Been Flowing for 100 Years
by Earthables
The amazing images below give a rare look at the aptly named “gateway to Hell” found in Erta Ale, the most active volcano in Ethiopia. It’s the oldest continuously-flowing lava lake in world (since 1906) and it’s an extremely rare phenomenon: there are only six known volcanoes with active lava lakes in the world.
These pictures were taken by travel photographer Joel Santos using a drone and four 4K resolution cameras that could handle the lake’s hellish heat that can reach as high as 2,012 °F (1,100 °C).
Santos told Daily Mail that “you can hear a small hiss of pressure beneath the volcano” every few minutes, and then without warning, “a crack opens wide.” He compared the volcano’s lava bursts to an explosion of fireworks.
The mountain is in the Danakil Desert, which is the hottest inhabited place on earth, but despite the challenges of working in such an environment, Santos is happy to have gotten a chance to visit the site on two different occasions.
Joel Santos standing near the rimDAILYMAIL.CO.UK
Very little is known about the mountain and its surrounding environment because of its inhospitable conditions and the hostile locals, who are said to be unwelcoming to visitors. The difficulty of getting a glimpse of the rare lake makes these pictures all the more spectacular!
Source: Earthables
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