Do you know where the Dallol volcano is? This is one of the most mysterious and amazing places of Ethiopia, located in the north-east of the country, in the hot and deadly desert of Danakil. The volcanic processes there are so strong that the air is filled with toxic fumes, and the lakes are made up of acid. This place is hard to call comfortable - the average temperature in the desert reaches 34 degrees Celsius, and in high summer exceeds 50.
Description
The volcano Dallol is located in the center of Danakili, in the valley of Afar. Not far from it is Lake Karum - a large salt deposit, the accumulation of which reaches two kilometers. Because of the unbearable heat of the day, the nomads only get salt there at night.
Unlike most volcanoes, Dallol in Ethiopia does not rise above the surface of the earth, on the contrary, it is located below sea level by as much as 130 meters, and its vent - by 45 meters. The geological formation is an oval-shaped dome that rises to a height of 41 meters. Due to such an unusual location of the vent in ancient legends, Dallol was considered the gateway to hell, which should open up and devour our world on the day of judgment. Despite all its unusualness, the craters of the volcano are active, since the time of ancient prophecies it has erupted more than once. The last time this happened almost a hundred years ago - in 1926.
Neighborhood
The name "dallol" in the local dialect means "dissolve". The surroundings of the volcano are so fantastic that they resemble descriptions of other planets. This is a truly unique landscape, the likes of which are not found in the world.
The terrain around Dallol volcano is constantly changing, acid puddles and even whole lakes appear and disappear. Under the influence of magmatic gases and mineral salts, the water in them acquires the most incredible colors: blue, red, purple, yellow and green. Boiling groundwater spills to the surface through hot springs. The salt crystals contained in them harden in the air, creating bizarre figures that reach a height of several meters. Most of these salt canyons are located in the southwest of the volcano.
Dangerous place
The crater itself is hidden under limestone deposits. At the same time, there is no volcanic activity on the eastern side of Dallol, there are no gases or faults. For scientists, this is another mystery: to this day, this place is practically unexplored. Exhausting temperatures, hot air, saturated with harmful fumes, and constant earthquakes make it impossible to stay there for a long time. Even sweat that protrudes on the face from the heat, due to acid fumes, also begins to turn into acid.
Near the Dallol volcano, there are practically no settlements. The only exception is the settlement where once the workers who were engaged in the extraction of potash ore lived. Half a century ago, production was stopped, and the town was empty. Now it stops only local nomadic afar, mining salt. But even a completely deserted area near the geological formation can not be called. To this day, a nomad tribe of tribes lives next to it.
