Volcanoes are often the center of myth and folklore wherever they occur. Fierce volcanoes that spew lava have haunted people for centuries. One volcano surpasses all others, famous for its blue glow. That is Indonesia’s Kawah Ijen volcano.
The mysterious blue light of Kawah Ijen volcano
Kwan Ijen is one of many active volcanoes in East Java, Indonesia. With an altitude of 2,443 m above sea level, the crater of this volcano also has a lake with a depth of up to 200 m. Ijen crater lake is considered the largest acidic lake in the world.
On the crater of this volcano there is also a lake with a depth of up to 200 m with extremely strong acidity.
The unique feature of Ijen Volcanic Lake is that around 2:00 to 4:00 am every day, around the crater will appear extremely brilliant turquoise flames. This magical turquoise light creates a unique beauty that attracts all the curiosity of visitors.
Under the influence of high pressure and temperature up to 600 degrees Celsius, gas will appear from the cracks on the mountain. When exposed to air, these gases will ignite and emit flames up to 5 meters long. Meanwhile, some of the gas condenses into liquid sulfur, flowing down the mountain slope like magical jade-green lava flows.
In addition to the magical blue fire, the Ijen volcano complex also holds another “dark secret” because it is one of the largest and most dangerous sulfur mining sites in the world.
The mountain's gas is captured by local workers and then transported through a ceramic pipe, with the purpose of condensing the molten sulfur.
The molten sulfur, a deep red color, would flow from the top of the mountain to the end of the pipe, spilling onto the ground and immediately turning yellow when it cooled. Miners would then break the solid sulfur into pieces, put them in barrels and transport them to nearby smelters.
Miners who do this job have to endure extremely dangerous conditions and are not fully equipped with necessary protective equipment, but in return they receive a salary that is quite high compared to many other jobs.
Let's admire the beautiful photos and videos of Kwan Ijen mountain, captured through the lens of photographers by the very incident to capture these spectacular moments.
