Watch: Magnificent Blue-Electric Flames Emerge From Indonesian Volcano
On X (previously Twitter), a breathtaking video of electric-blue flames shooting out of a volcano is receiving a lot of likes. It is said that the Kawah Ijen volcano in Indonesia is the location of this undated film. In the far east of Indonesia’s Java Island lies a composite volcano called Kawah Ijen. It’s a significant sulfur mine. The number of visitors who have traveled near the mining site in recent years to see the nighttime spectacle of the “blue” sulfur volcano has increased. Burning sulfurous gasses is what causes the volcano to spew blue lava and flames.
According to National Geographic, large blue flames are produced when sulfuric vapors from the volcano combine with the surrounding air. These flames may be up to 16 feet high. It seems as if “blue lava” is trickling down the hillsides when some of the gasses condense into liquid sulfur.
One X user commented on the aforementioned video, saying, “This is the most beautiful molten fire I have ever seen.” “This volcano is amazing, LOOK how the sulfur flows like water from the tap,” commented another commenter. “Whoa, I’ve never seen lava quite like that.” I would assume that a high concentration of a particular element, such as sulfur or cobalt, is to blame. “The hue is stunning,” the third person wrote.
Kawah Ijen Crater Lake is located inside the Ijen volcanic complex. This lake appears green because it is full with hydrochloric acid. The lake’s water combined with the hydrogen chloride gas from the volcano to produce hydrochloric acid.
Regretfully, unprotected sulfur mining persists in the Ijen volcanic complex despite its increasing popularity. According to Cynthia Werner, a research geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the Alaska volcanic Observatory, she leaves gas masks for miners at the volcanic complex when she visits. This was disclosed to National Geographic. We often bring gas masks and leave them with the folks we work with since sometimes they are unaware of the dangers of what they are breathing in, the woman said.
