In northern Ethiopia, at 130 meters below sea level, in the hottest valley in the world, there exists a series of pools that look more alien than anything that should rightly be found on Earth.
This is the dangerously beautiful Dallol Volcano, and hydrothermal system, found in the Danakil depression. The highest point of the volcano reaches -48 meters above sea level. Brine pools and acidic liquid spout from the ground, building up salt and sulfuric pillars as temporary geysers build them. Here, not two but three tectonic plates move away from each other, causing the land to sink deeper and deeper, and bringing up minerals from deep within the Earth. In the next few million years, the Red Sea will eventually fill the depression.
The word Dallol, in the language of the Afar people, means disintegration. The Disintegration Volcano.
or tectonic. I meant tectonic. whatever. it's cool.
@starwall That looks both beautiful and terrifying.
@starwall Looks pretty normal to me.
@Deiru where the fuck do you live
@Deiru ah. nevermind then.
@AbbieNormal @starwall I'd love to see it, but I suspect I'd hate to smell it...
@Anke yeah the whole place smells quite strongly of sulfur
@starwall And I find strong smells in general bad, even when it's, say, air freshener...
@starwall it's a volcano! Duck and cover!
@starwall open the volcano 2020
> The highest point of the volcano reaches -48 meters above sea level.
so, 48 meters below sea level?
thank you. i am terrible with coordinate systems. i even get lost in minecraft unless i have that mapping addon running.
@starwall well that sent me on an interesting Wikipedia dive, thank you!
@starwall wow this pictures are insane! I want to go there.
Basically this is what happens when a deep sea hydrothermal vent at a continental boundary is on land instead of underwater. it's kind of great