In June 2010, a team of scientists and intrepid explorers stepped onto the shore of the lava lake boiling in the depths of Nyiragongo Crater, in the heart of the Great Lakes region of Africa. The team had dreamed of this: walking on the shores of the world’s largest lava lake. Members of the team had been dazzled since childhood by the images of the 1960 documentary “The Devil’s Blast” by Haroun Tazieff, who was the first to reveal to the public the glowing red breakers crashing at the bottom of Nyiragongo crater. Photographer Olivier Grunewald was within a meter of the lake itself, giving us a unique glimpse of it’s molten matter.
The view from the volcano’s rim, 11,380 feet above the ground. At 1,300 feet deep, the lava lake has created one of the wonders of the African continent.
Even though the lava lake often overflows, the seven members of the expedition yearn to walk its shores. At the surface of the lake, bubbles of gas explode. The surface is permanently churned by fury from the earth’s crust.
Volcanic gases heat the base camp. Members often need to don gas masks for sleeping. At night, the base camp is illuminated by the light of the lava lake.
The goal of the expedition is to reach the rim of the lava lake. Nobody has previously survived such an encounter. Members of the team keep in contact through radio and relay data about the lava lake’s activities and the direction of the gases.
Franck Pothé approaches the lava. For such a close encounter, the wind must be at his back, pushing the heat away. Pothé is constantly informed of the swirling winds via radio contact with other members.
Marc Caillet is the first member of the team to reach the lake’s rim.
A major risk is the frequent overflows of the lake. Members surveying the lake from the second terrace help alert others to any threatening lava movements.
(via almostnowhere)
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