The Kawah Ijen volcano, the world’s largest sulfuric acid crater lake, is spewing blue lava.
These photos usually are not photoshopped. The Ijen volcano on the island of Java lights up the night with its electric blue flames and lava, which is surrounded by a one-kilometer-wide turquoise lake often called “lthe world’s largest highly acidic crater lake.“It has a pH balance of 0.5 because of sulfuric acid.
Ijen Volcano is positioned within the Banyuwangi–Bondowoso region of East Java, Indonesia. Sulfur reacts with the air because the lava rises to the surface, burning to form blue rivers of lava.
The locals call the caldera surrounding Ijen “Gunung Merapi”, which suggests Mountain of Fire. The flames burn twenty-four hours a day, but are most visible at nighttime. The flames rise to a height of as much as five meters. Some of the gas condenses right into a liquid and continues to burn. Locals called these cases “blue fire”.
Stratovolcanoes are conical volcanoes composed of many layers of tephra, hardened lava, volcanic ash and pumice. They could be recognized by their steep profiles and effusive and periodic explosive eruptions. Some stratovolcanoes have collapsed craters called calderas.
The volcano emits hydrogen chloride gas, which reacts with water to form Lake Kawah Ijen. The pH balance of the water is nearly 0 and is extremely concentrated with hydrochloric acid.
“This gas escapes from the volcano’s fissures under high pressure and at temperatures of as much as 600°C. When they arrive into contact with air, they ignite, sending flames as much as 16 feet (5 meters) high.
Some of the gas condenses into liquid sulfur, which continues to burn because it flows down the slopes, giving the impression of flowing lava.
Says Photographer living in Paris Olivier Grunewaldwho has been documenting the Kawah Ijen volcano for several years.
Grunewald and director Regis Etienne produced a documentary in regards to the Kawah Ijen volcano, The Secret of the Blue Flames.
Source: Curious Engineering | Wikipedia | National Geographer
