Dangerous allure: The Ijen’s ‘blue fire’ is in fact blue light emitted from the combustion of sulphuric gases. — The Straits Times / ANN
VOLCANIC eruptions have impacted some parts of history and even destroyed cities. And when we read about them, volcanoes like Tambora, Krakatoa and Vesuvius jump out as being some of the most destructive, albeit well-known ones.
But imagine a volcano that, instead of spewing the typical red, hot lava, casts a blue glow over the landscape.
Is it true that this azure phenomenon is real, or is it just an optical illusion?
Verdict:
TRUE
On the island of Java, Indonesia, there is, indeed, a still-active volcano spewing blue lava - Kawah Ijen volcano.
But, the intense electric colour that is so attractive is actually a sulphur bomb.
Photographer Olivier Grunewald has documented the Kawah Ijen volcano, where electric-blue flames stream down its slopes at night.
Explaining the glow, Grunewald said gases emerge from cracks in the volcano at high pressure and temperatures of up to 600°C.
Upon contact with air, they ignite, creating flames up to 16 feet high. Some gases condense into liquid sulfur, burning as they flow down, mimicking lava.
The spectacle, however, is only visible at night, as it is obscured by sunlight during the day.
But wait, that isn’t all there is to the volcanic marvel.
Beyond its blue flames, Kawah Ijen is also renowned for its acidic crater lake - with a diameter of 1km and a depth of approximately 200m.
The lake waters are highly toxic as they are full of sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid, so the vapours emitted are also very harmful to humans.
References:
