- Location: Afar region of Ethiopia
- Height: 613 m
- Type: shield volcano
Erta Ale (Ertale) is one of the most remote volcanoes in the Afar region of Ethiopia and part of the East African fault. It is a large volcanic shield with a typical crater top with craters.
Description
Erta Ale (Ertale) is one of the most remote volcanoes in the Afar region of Ethiopia and part of the East African fault. It is a large volcanic shield with a typical crater top with craters.
Description
Shields are volcanoes, from which basaltic lava flows many times. They are characterized by gentle slopes, at the top there is a crater, which looks like a hollow. This is the volcano of Erta Ale in Ethiopia .
The name "Erta Ale" is translated as "smoking mountain". This place is considered one of the most dry and hot on earth.
Lava Lakes of Erta Ale
The top of the caldera is unique due to the durable lava lakes that are in the crater of the volcano Erta Ale. One of them periodically disappears. Studies of the surface temperature of the lake indicate that the flow of lava is about 510-580 kg / s. Fresh lava flows on the slopes of the volcano indicate that the lakes periodically overflow, and this is very dangerous for tourists.
In order for a lava lake to exist, its surface and lower magma chamber must form a single convection system, otherwise the lava will cool and solidify. All over the world there are only 5 known volcanoes with lava lakes, and since the volcano of the Erta Ale has 2 of them, this place is considered doubly unique.
The eruption of Erta Al
Under the earth surrounding the volcano, there is a huge pool of active magma. Above, the lake cools and becomes covered with a crust that periodically falls into the lava and forms fountains reaching several meters in height.
The volcano Erta Ale erupted many times: in 1873, 1903, 1940, 1960, 1967, 2005 and 2007. During the penultimate eruption, many livestock were killed, and in 2007, when evacuated, two people disappeared and allegedly died.
Tourism on Erta Ale
Despite the harsh conditions, the danger of eruption and extreme heat, the volcano of Erta Ale has recently become a popular tourist destination. Until 2002, it could only be seen from a helicopter. Now it is allowed to approach the crater itself, to break up tents on the volcano to observe this phenomenon at night. It is assumed that tourists will be guided by common sense.
In 2012 there was an unpleasant incident. A group of tourists was ambushed by militants on the edge of the crater of Erta Ale. Five European tourists were killed and four others were abducted. Since then, all tourist groups are accompanied by armed guards.
How to get there?
The closest settlement to the volcano is the town of Makele. Local tour operators offer 3-5-day tours to the volcano on all-wheel-drive jeeps and an 8-day transfer with a camel caravan. It should be borne in mind that the area is inhabited by the not so friendly to the tourists Afar tribes.