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GeoPictures of the Week: Volcano Lava Creates Stunning Blue Flames

Today, we have more pictures... because I just couldn't limit myself to one. Olivier Grunewald, a well known French photographer traveled the world to capture these stunning images of volcanic eruptions.

Mihai Andrei
February 26, 2015 @ 4:52 am

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Today, we have more pictures… because I just couldn’t limit myself to one. Olivier Grunewald, a well known French photographer traveled the world to capture these stunning images of volcanic eruptions.

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What we’re seeing here is not actually purple lava – the color of the lava is masked by the sulphuric acid burning in blue flames. This is called a Cerulean eruption, The volcano contains large amounts of pure sulfur, which emits an icy violet color as it burns, filling the air with toxic fumes. These pictures were taken in a low lying field in Ethiopia.

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You can find more about Grunewald’s work on his website.

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