Active pit crater viewed from nearby large hornito. Crater diammeter is approx. 130m. Feb. 2002 |
Evening view of pit crater from hornito in 2008. Note: left hand corner has widened. |
Erta Ale lava lake, 2002. Lake is in deep pit. |
Erta Ale lava lake, 2008. Note: lake size is as in 2002 but crater floor/lake are higher. |
N crater. Intensely degassing hornitos on left. (2008) |
Partially collapsed E rim of N crater. 1970s hornito on horizon. (2008) |
Animation of lake surface during slow convection phase. Speeded up 40x. |
Broken crust sinking into lava lake. |
Bubbles of gas released at the lake surface cause fountaining. |
Lava fountains |
Lake crust is lifted and lava flows over rim from underneath as lava levels rise. |
Small pahoehoe flows form from lake overflows. |
Intense lake overflow episode eventually covering whole "collar" around lake. |
Lava flowing out from under thin crust. |
Fresh lava covering whole of crater floor after major lake overflow. |
Overflow animation (approx. 2x normal speed) |
Crust folds as leaves lake and slows down. |
Overflow animation (approx. 2x normal speed) |
Violent lava fountaining accompanying falling lake levels. |
Violent lava fountaining accompanying falling lake levels. |
Violent lava fountaining accompanying falling lake levels. |
Site of almost constant fountaining at W side of lake, Feb. 2008. |
Crust overturning at S side of lake, Feb. 2008. |
Fumarole at S rim of N crater, Feb. 2008 |
Fumarolic deposit W of N crater. |
Sulphur stalagtites in fumarole on N rim of caldera |
Lava fountain producing Pelee's hair |
Detail from picture on left. Formation of Pelee's hair can be seen. |
Reddish Pelee's hair scattered around Erta Ale lava lake. |
Reddish Pelee's hairs near Erta Ale lava lake. |
Pelee's hairs near Erta Ale lava lake. |
Sulphur crystals on Pelee's hair. |
Pelee's hair coated in sulphur crystals by fumarolic activity. |
Extent of Nov. 2010 lava flows viewed from SW of crater on rim |
Lava flows from eruptive phases can be distinguished by colour. 2010 flows are darkest |
S side of 2010 cone surrounding lake has collapsed - view from summit hornito |
Lava lake in small pit (Jan. 2011) |
2010 lava flows with cone in background |
Incandescence of lava lake at dusk |
View of filled S crater from E rim, summit hornito at far left |
View of filled S crater from E rim |
E rim of S crater |
Summit hornito with remains of 2010 cone at top left |
Recent lava flows were fast-flowing in places |
Glass fibres are clearly visible in flows |
Lava flow with summit hornito behnind |
Extremely fine Pelee's hair near lake on bed of recently erupted lapilli |
Classic (stiffer) Pelee's hair is found in large amounts N of lake |
Large amounts of Pelee's hair around 2010 cone |
Classic Pelee's hair |
Floor of N crater viewed from S, Jan. 2011 |
N crater vent showing incandescence, Jan. 2011 |
W rim with N crater at top left (Jan. 2011) |
N crater viewed from S (Jan. 2011) |
Gently sloping southern part of caldera |
Looking upwards from S end of caldera |
Old lava flows at south end of Erta Ale caldera, wall of further caldera in distance |
View across south end of Erta Ale caldera from west flank |
Old lava flows at south end of Erta Ale caldera, Hayli Gubbi volcano behind |
Heavily weathered cone at S end of W flank, Hayli Gubbi volcano in background |
Parking lot with Erta Ale in background |
Stone-walled buildings on the W rim of Erta Ale |