Ijen volcano in East Java contains the world\’s largest acidic volcanic crater lake, called Kawah Ijen, famous for its turquoise color. The colours of the lake contrast with the sterile moonscape of the rest of the crater. Active volcano, constantly spewing sulfur smoke clubs, is incredible in its beauty blue fire and extremely hard working conditions in the sulfur mine. Sulfur combusts on contact with air to create stunning blue lava-like rivers of light in the Kawah Ijen crater.

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Erta Ale is a shield volcano in the Afar region of East Africa. It is a remote and rarely visited volcano that is known currently to have an active lava lake in its summit crater. The earth opens up and a glowing lava lake is known as the Gateway of Hell. The Afar language calls it \”smoking mountain\” which indicates it has been active for a long time. The Afar region is the only place on earth where a tectonic triple junction is located above sea level (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and African Rift Valley). The Erta Ale Range is 95 km long and 50 km wide. Erta Ale volcano has feature similar to the Hawaiian volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The caldera is 1.6 km x 0.7 km in diameter and two pit craters are often filled by lava lakes.

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More than 3,500 feet in diameter with a 760-foot summit, Diamond Head in Waikiki is perhaps the world’s most recognized volcanic crater. It is a lasting remnant of a volcanic explosion that occurred about 500,000 years ago. Ancient Hawaiians called it Laeahi, which translates to “brow of the tuna.” The name “Diamond Head” can be traced to the 1800s, when British sailors mistakenly thought there were diamonds lodged in the crater’s soil. The extinct crater and lookout point at the peak of it is a popular hiking destination for many. A hiking trail leads from the crater up to a lookout point. But be prepared to climb some stairs. In fact, there are two stairs, one has 99 steps and a second one has 76 steps. There’s also a 225-foot (69 m) hardly lit tunnel through which you’ll have to go. The tunnel is a remnant of the former military use of the crater. So you should be in good physical condition to do the hike.

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credit: Eric Tessmer, Honolulu Hawaii

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The Cerro Negro volcano is a big smoking hill in the northwestern part of Nicaragua, waiting to surf and toboggan down it. The volcano is only about 500 meters high (675 meters above sea level), but the ascent is steep and tough. The slope is a full 40° in places, and the ride is fast and hot. Cerro Negro is the most recent basaltic cinder cone to form in the western hemisphere.

credit: Beth and Anth

credit: Beth and Anth

credit: Beth and Anth

credit: Beth and Anth

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