
The awe and beauty of awaking in a Tanzanian tent camp to a stunning
sunrise, a
volcano eruption and a tight configuration of
Venus, Jupiter and the
Moon explain the
Maasai name for the volcano,
Mountain of God. This volcano, also known as
Ol Doinyo Lengai, is the only one on Earth gushing
natrocarbonatite lava (primarily
sodium carbonate and
potassium carbonate). At about 1,000 F (500 C), the lava is only half as hot as
basaltic lava, the type emitted by other volcanoes. It emerges from the volcano’s mouth as a liquid but hardens in seconds. Ol Doinyo Lengai may be unique on Earth but similar flows have been spotted on
Venus, which makes an eruption of the Mountain of God quite special when Venus is prominent in the sky. Photo taken on February 3, 2008.
Photo Details: Nikon F100 camera; Fujichrome Velvia 100 film; 70 mm focal length; 1/5 sec. exposure; f/11.
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