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Ijen volcano by night (Nov 2014): blue flames and sulfur works
Ijen volcano in East Java is famous for its acid crater lake and the large sulfur deposits that form around very active fumaroles near the lake shore.
The sulfur in the crater is being mined. At night, some of the fumaroles are on fire, with intense bluish flames from burning sulfur. Partially, this is due to auto-ignition due to very high temperatures at the fumarole vents, but mostly because the workers set fire to the sulfur n order to melt it and collect it from the frozen puddles that then form on the ground below.
View of Kawah Ijen, the crater lake, from the rim. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Eroded inner crater walls and the turquoise crater lake in the background. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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When it gets dark, the bluish flames become visible. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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A large (approx. 15 m across) field of fumaroles is almost completely on fire. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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The tubes serve to collect the fumarole gasses and help condensation / sublimation of sulfur inside ... [
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The ghostly flames are always in motion and assume different ghostly shapes. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Torch-like blue flame (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Pile of rocks covered by blue flames (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Blue flames (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Andi with a torch as used by the local miners - the color of these torches is exactly the compliment... [
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Somebody with a strong white headlamp illuminates the scene behind the silhouetted blocks and cylind... [
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Michael is filming with his RED camera, needs a bit more light than the average visitor... (Photo: T... [
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A miner is filling his basket with pieces of broken solidified sulfur. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Another mine worker joins him. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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The torches cast a wonderful orange light on the whole scene. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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A metal bar is used to break larger pieces of sulfur crust. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Some of the solid sulfur pieces are more than a meter across. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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The worker is just outside a thick cloud full of sulfur dioxide and sulfur dust behind. Even with a ... [
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Two sulfur workers in the mine ("kitchen") at night. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Preparing the sulfur blocks for the transport out of the crater is easier done in two. (Photo: Tom P... [
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The red light of the workers'torches illuminates the lake shore area behind them. (Photo: Tom Pfeiff... [
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Looking back towards the fumarole area and the crater rim in the background. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Michael and Andi filming in the sulfur "kitchen" in the background. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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The blue light from the sulfur flames above the orange light from the torches. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Playing with colors... the headlamp was used to illuminate the green-yellow ground surface. A starry... [
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Depending on the way the sulfur plume moves, the intensity of the blue flames, presence of torches a... [
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Intense blue flames. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Kat taking pictures of the blue flames. Recommended settings (if you only want to shoot details of t... [
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View back towards the crater wall and a clear night-time sky. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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A tube acts as a torch, where an intense flame exits. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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Occasionally, red sparks from liquid, burning drops of sulfur mix into the blue flames. (Photo: Tom ... [
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Ijen volcano's blue flames. A must see. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [
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