Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano

Aug. 5, 2024

According to a new study, the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano which is filled with magma has been erupting beyond the ground hose and at the same time sinking for the past 10 years.

About Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano:

  • Location: It is located in northern Tanzania, at the southern end of Lake Natron.
  • It is known to the local Maasai people as the “Mountain of God.
  • It is an active stratovolcano with unique geological characteristics.
  • It rises to an elevation of 9,442 feet (2,878 metres) and is one of the many volcanoes situated along the East African Rift System.
  • It contains basalts rich in sodium and potassium and is so alkaline that its lavas resemble washing soda.
  • The volcano has more than one active centre and most of the recent eruptions were from its northern crater. 
  • Why it is a rare volcano? This volcano is the only one existing on Earth which has an actively eruptingand extremely runny carbonatite magma. The magma is saturated with alkali elements, like calcium and sodium and is poor in silica.

Details of the study

  • As per the new study, the crater's upper slopes have started sinking since 2013 and the likely cause for this sinking volcano was the deflating magma reservoir, which is located 3,300 feet (1,000 m) under the volcano.