The view from aboveThe following images from Earth orbit are used, instead of maps, to show major features referred to on other pages on Erta Ale. A simple sketch map here. | |||
 Erta Ale caldera from the Southeast. The active pit is the horizontal dark line in front of the steam plume. |  Erta Ale's active pit and lava lake a seen from the approaching helicopter. The white steam plume comes from the North pit. |  Aerial close-up of the lava lake. Note the crack along the pit's nearer rim. |  The pit seen from the opposite direction as in the image on the left. The camp is above left. |
 Erta Ale summit region from the West. Note how lava flows have spilled through a narrow gap on the left of the steaming North pit. |  Erta Ale summit region from the South. |  Erta Ale summit region: North pit steaming on the left; active pit left of centre. One of our seismic stations was located at the bright patch on the lower right. |  Lava has flowed from Erta Ale towards the lowlands in the South. Note colour differences between flows of different ages. |
 ASTER thermal-infrared composite image from NASA «Visible Earth» website. The hot lava lake appears white, cold mountain tops dark). |  Space shuttle astronaut photo from NASA «Earth from Space». |  True-color MODIS image from 6.11.2001 from NASA «Visible Earth» website. Red dots are forest fires (and Erta Ale!). |  SeaWiFS true-color image 29.11.2000 on NASA «Visible Earth» website; superimposed: Plate motion. |
