Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.Kawah Ijen
— Albert Schweitzer
The turquoise-colored lake in the crater of the Kawah Ijen volcano appears serene but the water has a prohibitively acidic pH of 0.3 because of an influx of sulfuric gas from the volcano. For comparison, the pH of pure drinking water is 7 (neutral), while the pH of lemon juice is 3.
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| Acidic lake in Kawah Ijen crater |
The Kawah Ijen crater lake the world's largest acidic lake.
Each volcano is an independent machine—nay, each vent and monticule is for the time being engaged in its own peculiar business, cooking as it were its special dish, which in due time is to be separately served.Kawah Ijen at Night
— Clarence Dutton
At night, a blue glow emanates from the cracks in the Kawah Ijen volcano where sulfuric gases are emitted. Sulfuric gas escapes from the subsurface under high pressure and temperatures up to 1,112°F (600°C).
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| Blue flame of sulfuric gases igniting in the Kawah Ijen crater. Photograph by Oliver Gunewald |
The super-heated stream of sulphuric gas ignites when exposed to atmospheric oxygen causing the intense blue flames observed at night.
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
— Albert Schweitzer
REFERENCES
- Ijen, Wikipedia.
- Report on the Geology of the High Plateaus of Utah, by Clarence Edward Dutton, 1880.
- Satellite Image of Kawah Ijen Volcano, NASA Earth Observatory, 22 August 2013.
- Stunning Electric-Blue Flames Erupt From Volcanoes, by Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic, 30 January 2014.
- Welcome to the largest, most highly acidic crater lake in the world, by Bec Crew, Science Alert, 10 August 2014.
