Kawah Ijen, Indonesia“Kawah Ijen is one of several volcanoes...

Kawah Ijen, Indonesia

“Kawah Ijen is one of several volcanoes located within the 20 km wide Ijen Caldera in East Java, Indonesia. The caldera of Kawah Ijen harbors a kilometer-wide, turquoise colored, acidic crater lake that leaks sulphurous gases constantly. At night the hot gases burn to emit an eerie blue glow that is unique to Kawah Ijen. The gases emerge from the cracks in the volcano at high pressure and temperature, up to 600°C, and when they come in contact with the air, they ignite, sending flames up to 16 feet high. Some of the gases condense into liquid sulfur, and continues to burn as it flows down the slopes giving the feeling of blue lava flowing.” [Amusing Planet]

Image source: Olivier Grunewald (via Boston Globe and National Geographic), Photovolcanica