The lava lake in January 2011 |
![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3341.jpg) Conjunction of Venus and the moon at dawn of 30 Jan. Red plume from the lava lake at left. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3380.jpg) On the rim of the new pit about 15m deep, with the fountaining lava lake about 50m wide. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3400.jpg) Vertical view down to the lake from the east rim. A visitor takes the risk to stand on the unstable south rim. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3405.jpg) Suddenly strong convection in the lake exposes fresh magma from below along the incadescent cracks. |
![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3411.jpg) View of the lake from the west rim. Note the cracks on the south rim at right, a worrisome sight! | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3418.jpg) Incandescent gas melts new fissures in the pit walls on the lower right from the photographer on the east rim. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3438.jpg) Tourists spend an unforgettable night on the safer west rim (view from the camp on the caldera rim). | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3459.jpg) At dawn of 31 Jan, the Moon has moved halfway between Venus (top) and the horizon. |
![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3464.jpg) The strong fountain below the south rim has stopped its activity, while the cracks emit hot blue gas. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3480.jpg) Thorsten Bockel (white T-shirt) is filming the strong fountains below the pit's south rim. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3306.jpg) Martin Rietze uses a gas-mask as protection against the terribly hot gas coming from the lake. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3333.jpg) Panorama over the other larger (north) pit, where the hornito shows an incandescent vent. |
![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3365.jpg) Lava overflows of November 2010 from the new pit (center right) have completely filled the former (and larger) south pit. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3363.jpg) Downwind from the lava lake, a dense carpet of fair Pele's hair covers the silvery fresh pahoehoe lava. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3316.jpg) Panorama of the lava overflows of November 2010 seen from the west rim of Erta Ale's caldera. | ![The lava lake in January 2011 The lava lake in January 2011](lake-2011/icons/ertaale2011-mf3301.jpg) Panorama of the new pit and of the lava overflows from the hornito just south of the lava lake. |
Photos by Marco Fulle, taken with 10.5mm and 16mm fisheye lenses, and 135mm on digital single lens reflex camera. |