Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano (Tanzania), activity update: shallow magma present

Glow from nearby (but hidden) lava pooling somewhere beneath the collapse pit in Lengai's crater (taken on evening of 31 Jan 07).

During our latest expedition to the active crater of Lengai volcano from early 31 Jan - 2 February 2007, no eruption of natrocarbonatite lava occured from the summit vents. According to local Maassai guides, the central area of the crater with the large collapse pit near the tall hornito T49b had not seen significant changes since last summer. 
From an open vent in the NE corner at the bottom of the pit at the base of the hornito, loud washing-machine like sounds of boiling lava was audible all the time. A large pool of lava must be found somewhere at very shallow depths in some caverns beneath that area. This assumption is confirmed by the glow of lava that was clearly visible one night from a second, smaller vent located about 30 m south of the large vent in the base of the collapse pit. One guide confirmed he had seen spattering of lava from this vent some two weeks earlier.

In addition to the loud sound of revolving lava underground, a constant, deep rumbling could be heard from the ground, resembling the sounds of very distant thundering. It was strongest in the NW area of the crater between the collapse pit and the fissure vents of the March 2006 lava flow. We think it might be an audible form of volcanic tremor more or less directly related to a magma volume still inside the same dike. When talking to local guides, they believe that a new, large-volume effusive eruption of lava from a similar area as in March 2006 might occur in the near future.
A GPS survey and some photographs of the area will be published here in the near future.

Actualités précédentes

Presentation about volcanoes in Siegburg/Germany 12. Dec.

mardi, nov. 28, 2006

Tobias Schorr will present active volcanoes (with some of Toms great photos) in Europe in the bistro "Hollywood" in Siegburg. 12 December 19:30.

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New tours in Italy: Bay of Naples & Eolian Islands

lundi, nov. 13, 2006

We gladly announce two new study&walking tours we can offer you in Italy: one to the Bay of Naples from 8-15 April and a two-weeks tour of the Eolian Islands from 6-18 May 2007. Both tours will be guided by our Italian geologist Marta who is a true insider in both areas.

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Tom Pfeiffer´s volcano photo of Stromboli on German exhibition promotion "unruhige Erde"

lundi, oct. 09, 2006

Tom Pfeiffer´s volcano photo of Stromboli volcano got a title photo of all promotion material for a exhibition about the nature hazards. There will be a exhibition program of German Senkenberg nature museum in Frankfurt/Main from 29.9.06 - 19.2.2008. There are brochures, a poster and a cataloque printed with his photo at the front. Also at the official homepage of Senkenberg Museum his photo is published.

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New tour to Nyiragongo!

dimanche, juil. 30, 2006

A set of photos from our recent expediton to Nyiragongo volcano has been posted. The next tour to see this unique volcano and the endangered mountain gorilllas of the Virunga volcanic chain is now set to 21-28 Jan. 2007. Details on this page.

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New Bank-Connection!

lundi, juil. 24, 2006

Please be careful with sending money to us - we have a new bank-connection and the old bank is sending money to us back to you! The new connection is: SWIFT: COLSDE33, IBAN: DE70370501981937143475

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