EAST JAVA, INDONESIA: AN OFF-DUTY engineer captured the incredible phenomenon of what appears to be BLUE lava erupting from an active volcano. Pictures show how liquid sulphur pours from volcanic vents and is so hot it burns a bright blue colour, in contrast to the orange-red of normal lava. Other pictures show how workers perform the dangerous task of harvesting the sulphur once it has cooled so they can eventually sell it. Amateur photographer Martin Rietze (50) travelled from his home in Eichenau, Germany to the Kawah Ijen volcano in East Java, Indonesia, to take these extraordinary images.

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Size: 4368px × 2912px
Photo credit: © Michael Carroll / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: east, erupting, eruption, hot, indonesia, java, lava, nature, spectacular, sulphur, volcanic, volcano