Ol Doinyo Lengai is a unique and extremely fascinating volcano that is located in the African Rift valley about 120 km NW of Arusha, Tanzania. It is the only volcano in the world that erupts natrocarbonatite lava, a highly fluid lava that usually contains almost no silicon.
Natrocarbonatite lava is also much cooler than other lavas, being only about 950 degrees F (510 degrees C) compared to temperatures over 2000 degrees F (~1100 degrees C) for basaltic lavas. Natrocarbonatite is the most fluid lava in the world. Lava with a low gas content can flow like a whitewater stream, and actually has a viscosity near that of water. Continue Reading…