Why is this Indonesian volcano erupting electric-blue lava?
Why is this Indonesian volcano erupting electric-blue lava?
Indonesia's Kawah Ijen volcano
Indonesia's Kawah Ijen volcano is one of the most fascinating sites the country has to offer. Whether geologist, keen hiker or day-tripper, this volcano on the island on Java draws many to its scorching rim in search of its fluorescent blue lava.
During the day, Kawah Ijen's lava appears to be a relatively ordinary yellow in color but a night hike to its rim reveals an entirely new side to the volcano.
Rapidly burning sulfuric gases give off intense blue flames, which can't be seen during the day, reaching up to 13 feet tall and creating an electric-blue pit in the crater below.
This geological phenomenon is produced when sulfuric gases pouring from the crater make contact with oxygen in the air at temperatures over 360°C and combust, giving off a bright blue light. During an eruption, the magma has also been known to burn bright blue as it comes into contact with the heavily sulfuric air.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/why-is-this-indonesian-volcano-erupting-electric-blue-lava/ss-AAh8Dlz?li=BBnbklE#image=4
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I discovered where Cerenkov retreats to when he leaves NT at night.
Just sharing some incredible pictures of blue lava - who da thunk it? WoW!!!!!
No comment. I'm the hero we deserve.
lol!
How completely fascinating and what a welcome change from the FP today! Thanks for a wonderful contribution!
I wouldn't have guessed at the answer, so I'm glad you provided it! Thanks!
I know! Incredible how nature can create such a beautiful visual.
I just published an article about all the free-floating testosterone on the site... Hope you visit! LOVE YOU!!!
just looked it up, seems it is the visible blue flame from burning sulfur gasses causing the visual effect...
I bet it smells bad... The earth has a lot of sulphur in it, doesn't it?
Not actually. Sulfur is about 5000 ppm in the earth. Iron, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen are much much higher. I think I'm forgetting one or two elements...
You're right! But when we were drilling for water, it seemed we found a lot of sulphur... Sulphur dioxide, which is dangerous gas, high sulphur water, which is icky, etc. It just seemed that I could find water with lots of sulphur in it! Not great for a municipal supply...
Although, years ago, the well would have been a source of supply for spas and things, where people could drink the water, clean their pipes, and hopefully help their kidneys...
My great-grandparents got married near Sulphur, IN...
Lots of popular hot springs are high in sulfur.
Before there were sulfa drugs, people would drink the water for their kidneys... It must have helped, at least a little...
How cool!
Thanks Dowsey!
:~)
Much as I would LOVE to take credit for this wonderful article, it is PJ, who found and seeded this fabulous phenomena!
YAY, PJ!!!
Wicked!
Thanks Dowsey!
LOL! Sorry! thank you pj!
And thank you too though Dowser...
*I'd better stop now while I'm ahead*
btw, I'd vote ya'll up but my mac and the site seem to be at odds this evening.
No worries. Thank you for adding the video.
I am always fascinated by natural phenomena and google stuff all the time...,...follow goofy paths, whatever...,... looking for cool things like this. May I ask, how did you come across this great article?
Sheer luck. I was just browsing and the vibrant blue color caught my eye. It reminded me of Cerenkov's avatar and I thought "what's he up to now?".
Like you, I'm fascinated with how nature can create these beautiful effects. It leaves me breathless.
My blue is the result of electrons emitting visible light as they decelerate from superluminal velocities.
EEK....
It's just light. No danger. Mostly harmless.
Good to know!
When we had wells that had blue flame coming out of them, it was because of methane gas, and we skedaddled!
This is safer.
It may BE safer, but it doesn't look it... The blue flame methane was startling, to say the least. We got out of there, because there was no way to know when the well would belch a big blob of methane and burn us up, or cause us to die of asphyxiation... So, we moved away, quickly. Had to call in a specialist, a couple of times, to quench the flames and cap the well... Usually occurred in rock wells, near a gas storage field, or out in the middle of nowhere... But mainly rock wells, that weren't too deep. You could sometimes, when we shut everything down, hear them bubble...
Sounds scary. I don't like being underground in the best of circumstances.
Me, either!
Mother Nature has colorful farts.