Lengai 21. - 29. July 2001 Photo PageIn case you plan a visit to the summit of Lengai, please do not hope to see a paroxysm: if you are lucky, what you can wait to admire is what here we call «normal» activity. During the first half of the week Marco Fulle and Roby Carniel spent in the Lengai's crater, a lava lake periodically filled and drained, with spectacular lava falls and rivers. Here we show some of the images Marco was able to collect. To give a sense of the perspective, camera lens focal lengths are given (i.e. f=28mm). As usual the pictures on this page link to larger photos (about 40 to 140 KB). All times are local (GMT + 3 hr). | |||
 21. July 17h, f=28mm from Engare Sero. The cone of Lengai (crowned by white lava overflows) stands in the middle of Rift Valley (Rift west scarp on the right). |  22. July 11h, f=300mm. During the wet season, heavy rains drag huge soda deposits from the volcano flanks to Lake Natron, about 15 km North of Lengai. |  23. July 16h, f=135mm. A typical channel of molten natrocarbonatitic lava in the Lengai crater. The deep black lava surface reflects the sky colour. |  24. July 20h, f=28mm. The night colour of Lengai's molten lava is unique in all the world. These flows exit from the lava lake T49E (hornito T49C in the background). |
 24. July 12h, f=135mm. An hornito is filled by bubbles of lava foam, surrounded by fresh depositis of black lava. |  24. July 12h, f=135mm. After a few seconds, the bubbles inflate and overflow from the hornito vent. |  24. July 11h, f=28mm. The typical aa front (about 5cm thick) of a lava flow coming out from the lava lake T49E. |  26. July 20h, f=28mm. The advancing aa lava fronts draw phantastic fans over old hydrated moonlit white lava. |
 25. July 11h, f=135mm. The pressure of lava in lake T49E cracks its flanks, with black lava jets from the flank fissures. |  27. July 11h, f=135mm. True lava falls from the lava lake T49E feed lava rivers with waterlike droplets in the air. |  24. July 07h, f=50mm. A boiling lake of lava foam rises in the top vent of hornito T49C. |  26. July 11h, f=135mm. Silvery bubbles of lava foam feed a lava flow from the top of T49C. |
 24. July 07h, f=28mm. Sometimes, the pressure in the lava lake is so high to cause catastrophic collapse of its flanks. |  25. July 17h, f=135mm. During another catastrophic fall of T49E flanks, a huge lava river drags meter sized flank pieces. |  25. July 17h, f=28mm. This is not an aa front: this lava flow has dragged many debris from the collapsed lake flank. |  25. July 21h, f=28mm. During nightime, the lava overflows from lake T49E are most spectacular. |
 24. July 18h, f=28mm. Sculptures of hydrated natrocarbonatitic lava shine in the sunset light on T49D. |  25. July 18h, fish-eye photo. Josh and Roby install a seismic station on the E crater rim. Lengai's shadow in the background. |  24. July 12h, f=28mm. Roby films advancing aa lava flows coming from lava lake T49E. |  29. July 11h, f=28mm. The fog of a summit cloud between hornitos T47 and T37. |