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.

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.

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