Encore - Eruption of Ol Doinyo Lengai in 2008
April 18, 2020
Today and every Saturday Earth Science Picture of the Day invites you to rediscover favorites from the past. Saturday posts feature an EPOD that was chosen by viewers like you in our monthly Viewers' Choice polls. Join us as we look back at these intriguing and captivating images.
Photographer: George Seielstad
Summary Author: George Seielstad
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.
[3/20]06162014