Kawah Ijen Ijen is an active stratovolcano in Java. Due to the site’s high volcanic activity, it has extremely high sulfur concentrations. This has provided the area with a steady source of mining income. It has also given them one of the most hellish lakes in the world. The volcano’s crater is filled with water. It’s called Kawah Ijen, and it is the world’s largest acid lake. The entire lake has been contaminated by sulfur, turning it into deadly sulfuric acid. The pH of the lake’s water is 0.5, making its contents essentially battery acid. The lake will eat away almost anything, up to and including metal. Its fumes are lethal, and breathing is difficult even with a gas mask. Because of the lake, eruptions from Ijen are considered particularly dangerous. Not only does the volcano have a shower of all-consuming acid on top of the usual arsenal of volcanic destruction, but the draining of the acid lake can also cause extremely destructive lahars—giant slides of mud and debris.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 05:50:16 +0000
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