Aerial Photos of the Rift Valley volcanos

Life prevails: A fresh lava flow has stopped just short of this isolated patch of greenery on Erta Ale's southern slopes.

Lonely spatter cones within a field of pahoehoe lava south of Erta Ale. Note fissures in foreground and behind the cones.

Chain of spatter cones surrounded by sand dunes mark the orientation of the East African rift valley.

Field of sand dunes between Erta Ale and Giulietti salt lake.

Chain of spatter cones (foreground) from a linear eruption between Erta Ale and Hayli Gubbi. Note fault scarp parallel and behind the alignment.

Hayli Gubbi, 521 m. This volcano emitted a steam column on 15.02.2002 but seemed quiet during our survey flight.

These cinder cones near Hayli Gubbi have been dissected very recently by numerous faults which run parallel to the East African rift.

Hayli Gubbi summit crater inside a larger caldera. Note the fault scarp on the caldera's wall on the right.

Hayli Gubbi summit crater.

Evaporation of water from Giulietti salt lake has produced salt crystals which now float on the lake surface.

Salt marsh along the northwestern coast of Giulietti salt lake. Colors are caused by algae.

Borawli volcano (821 m) on the shore of Lake Giulietti.

Afdera volcano (1295 m) rises behind Lake Giulietti. The low cinder cone in the foreground was possibly caused by phreatic explosions when lava flows entered the lake.

Note that this interesting cinder cone near Lake Giulietti is dissected by razor-sharp faults. They run almost exactly along the line of sight (a bit to the left). Do not confuse them with the wider erosion gullies.

Gada Ale (287 m). Lake Aasale (approx. 116 meters below sea level) in the background. Note numerous fissures in the right foreground.

A jewel in the desert: Small salt lake and minute patch of vegetation on it's shore inside a cinder cone south of Lake Aasale.

Dalaffilla/Alu (613 m) and Alu fissure vents (429 m) in the foreground.

Borale Ale (668 m)

Above the shore of Lake Aasale.

Lake Aasale (approx. 116 meters below sea level) and river delta in the forground.