Ol Doinyo Lengai lava flowing from a cone, aerial view of the crater floor, Tanzania
Ol Donyo Lengai ( m, ft) is a volcano located in Tanzania and is part of the volcanic system of the Great Rift Valley in eastern Africa. Aerial view showing lava splattering from one of the cones. Ol Donyo Lengai means “Mountain of God" in the language of the native Maasai people. Ol Donyo Lengai is unique among volcanoes in that it produces natrocarbonatite lava, an unusual type of carbonatite, whereas most lavas are rich in silicate minerals, the lava of Ol Donyo Lengai is rich in the rare sodium and potassium carbonates, nyerereite and gregoryite. Due to this unusual composition, the lava is erupted at relatively low temperatures (approximately 500-600 degrees Celsius). This temperature is so low that the molten lava appears black in sunlight, rather than having the red glow common to most lava. The sodium and potassium carbonate minerals of the lava formed by Ol Donyo Lengai are unstable at the Earth's surface and susceptible to rapid weathering, quickly turning from black to grey in color. The cone-building stage of the volcano ended about 15,000 years ago. By late 1998 lava had begun overflowing the crater rim. The resulting volcanic landscape is different from any other in the world.
Size: 5315px × 3534px
Location: Ol Doinyo Lengai, aerial view from 10000 feet, crater floor with cones, Tanzania
Photo credit: © Ulrich Doering / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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