Get our newsletter!
Check out our volcano tours on VolcanoAdventures.com!
Volcanoes & Earthquakes - new app for Android
Our New Book
Volcano Discoveries: "One of the most eye-catching guides to the world’s volcanoes ever published.
Volcano Travel
VolcanoAdventures: Our professional team of volcanologists and photographers offers unique travel opportunities: volcano expeditions, photo tours, and relaxed walking & study tours.
Volcano Adventure Guide
The Volcano Adventure Guide: Excellent information and background for anyone wishing to visit active volcanoes safely and enjoyably. The book presents guidelines to visiting 42 different volcanoes around the world.
Guaranteed tours:
24 Jun - 1 Jul 2018: Volcanoes of the Danakil desert - Danakil desert (Ethiopia)
12-14 Jul 2018: Krakatau Volcano Special - Krakatau volcano, Sunda Strait
15-31 Jul 2018: Volcanoes and Spices - N-Sulawesi + Halmahera (Indonesia)
22-27 Jul 2018: Adventure Volcano - Yasur Volcano Travel - Tanna Island (Vanuatu)
22 Jul - 5 Aug 2018: Volcanoes and Cultures - Adventures in the South Sea - Vanuatu (South Sea)
26 Jul - 5 Aug 2018: The Volcanoes of Ambrym - the Grand Traverse - Vanuatu (South Sea)
30 Jul - 13 Aug 2018: Colors of Iceland: Fire, Earth, Ice and Water - Iceland
15-31 Aug 2018: Volcanoes and Spices - N-Sulawesi + Halmahera (Indonesia)
1-14 Sep 2018: Volcano Special: Ibu - Dukono - Lokon - Halmahera (Indonesia)
26 Sep - 10 Oct 2018: Volcanoes and Cultures - Adventures in the South Sea - Vanuatu (South Sea)
: spaces available / : guaranteed / : few spaces left / : booked out
Random pictures

News:

Ijen volcano (East Java, Indonesia): crater lake closed for access
Thursday, Oct 08, 2015
Access to the volcano's famous crater lake (and its sulfur mining area) has been temporarily closed by authorities. It seems that weak phreatic explosions occurred under the lake on 1 October, without causing damage or fatalities. ... [more]
Ijen volcano by night (Nov 2014): blue flames and sulfur works

Wednesday, Dec 17, 2014
Impressions from our last expedition, which included a night-time visit at Ijen volcano to see the famous blue flames. [more]

Sulfur miner at Ijen volcano carrying baskets of solid sulfur up from the crater.
Sulfur miner at Ijen volcano carrying baskets of solid sulfur up from the crater.
 

Ijen volcano

Stratovolcano 2799 m / 9,183 ft
East Java, Indonesia, -8.06°S / 114.24°E
Current status: dormant (1 out of 5)
Ijen webcams / live data | Reports
Ijen volcano videos
Ijen volcano books | Tours
Last update: 4 Jun 2016
Typical eruption style: Explosive. Contains a large acid crater lake, intense fumarolic activity.
Ijen volcano eruptions: 1796, 1817, 1917, 1936, 1952, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000(?), 2002(?)The acid Kawah Ijen crater lake of Ijen volcanoNo recent earthquakes
TimeMag. / DepthDistanceLocation
Ijen volcano in East Java contains the world's largest acidic volcanic crater lake, called Kawah Ijen, famous for its turquoise color. The active crater measuring 950x600 m is known for its rich sulphur deposits which are being quarried.
The volcano is one of several active stratovolcanoes constructed over the 20 km wide Ijen caldera, the largest caldera in Java.
Eruptions from Ijen are very hazardous because of the risk of the lake draining to form catastrophic lahars.Sulphur mine inside the crater of Ijen near the shore of Kawah Ijen

Background:

The Ijen volcano complex at the eastern end of Java consists of a group of small stratovolcanoes constructed within the large 20-km-wide Ijen (Kendeng) caldera. The north caldera wall forms a prominent arcuate ridge, but elsewhere the caldera rim is buried by post-caldera volcanoes, including Gunung Merapi stratovolcano, which forms the 2799 m high point of the Ijen complex. Immediately west of Gunung Merapi is the renowned historically active Kawah Ijen volcano, which contains a nearly 1-km-wide, turquoise-colored, acid crater lake. Picturesque Kawah Ijen is the world's largest highly acidic lake and is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation in which sulfur-laden baskets are hand-carried from the crater floor. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones forms an E-W-trending zone across the southern side of the caldera. Coffee plantations cover much of the Ijen caldera floor, and tourists are drawn to its waterfalls, hot springs, and dramatic volcanic scenery.

Ijen Photos:

Blue flames. Breathing was only possible with a good gas mask and staying near the burning sulfur was only possible for a very short time. (Photo: Andi Rosadi)
Blue flames. Breathing was only possible with a good gas mask and staying near the burning sulfur was only possible for a very short time. (Photo: Andi Rosadi)
Blue flames and red sparks are visible. (Photo: Andi Rosadi)
Blue flames and red sparks are visible. (Photo: Andi Rosadi)
Burning fumarole at night. (Photo: Andi Rosadi)
Burning fumarole at night. (Photo: Andi Rosadi)
Flame of burning sulfur inside of Ijen volcano, East Java,Indonesia in May 2012. Ijen activity was at its peak and the area was closed. (Photo: Andi / VolcanoDiscovery Indonesia)
Flame of burning sulfur inside of Ijen volcano, East Java,Indonesia in May 2012. Ijen activity was at its peak and the area was closed. (Photo: Andi / VolcanoDiscovery In...
 Kawah Ijen crater lake (East Java, Indonesia) (Photo: Roland Gerth)
Kawah Ijen crater lake (East Java, Indonesia) (Photo: Roland Gerth)
Dancing With The Light Of A Million MorningsKawah Ijen, East Java, Indonesia (Photo: JessyEykendorp)
Dancing With The Light Of A Million Mornings
Kawah Ijen, East Java, Indonesia (Photo: JessyEykendorp)



Ijen volcano tours
From Krakatau to Bali (16-days study and photo tour to Java, Indonesia)
Volcanoes of Java (17-days walking and trekking tour on Java)
A Dream Come True - World Volcano Tour (4 weeks round-the-world trip to Hawai'i - Vanuatu - New Zealand - Indonesia)
Volcanoes of East Java (4-5 days walking tour to Bromo, Semeru and Ijen)
Bromo, Semeru, Ijen (trekking tour to Semeru, Bromo, Ijen volcanoes (East Java))

Latest satellite images

Sulphur steam coming out from the pipes that collect sulphur steam
Sulphur steam coming out from the pipes that collect sulphur steam
The acid blue crater lake of Ijen volcano
The acid blue crater lake of Ijen volcano
Gullied, eroded crater walls of Ijen volcano
Gullied, eroded crater walls of Ijen volcano
Close up of the condensating and sublimating sulphur vapor
Close up of the condensating and sublimating sulphur vapor
Sulphur quarry at Ijen volcano
Sulphur quarry at Ijen volcano
to top

 

More on VolcanoDiscovery:

Volcano Map
Map of currently active volcanoes: See which volcanoes are erupting at the moment! Probably more than you think...
Volcano news
Volcano news & updates: World-wide volcanic activity reports, updated almost daily.
Santorini Geology
Private geology tour on Santorini: We offer you private geology tours to get to know the extraordinary geology and natural history of the island, but also aspects of the deep connection with its cultural history and archaeology.
Smoke rings
Etna's steam rings: A collection of fantastic vortex rings ("smoke rings") we observed recently on Etna.
 
Subpages:
News
Copyrights: VolcanoDiscovery and other sources as noted.
Use of material: Text and images on this webpage are copyrighted. Further reproduction and use without authorization is not consented. If you need licensing rights for photographs, for example for publications and commercial use, please contact us.