Sulphurous Crater Lake, Ijen Volcano, East Java, Indonesia
13 August 2011

Note: The area of coverage in this GeoEye-1 image is approximately 1.4 km x 1.4 km.
The reduced resolution image on display has undergone compression and so does not represent the true resolution of the original satellite image.

The Ijen Plateau, a 130 km2 caldera complex, covers the northeastern corner of Java. Three volcanoes, including the 2368 m Ijen, dominate the plateau. The last major eruption of Ijen was in 1936, although the volcano has been active several times since then. A turquoise-coloured acidic lake (Kawah Ijen), rich in sulphur, is located inside the crater. Minor volcanic activities have been associated with bubbles rising in the lake water. Smoke is venting out of the crater in the image, which also shows sulphur deposits next to the source of the smoke. Slabs of sulphur are collected by miners, who then carry them up the steep sides of the crater in baskets, an extremely hazardous occupation. The view is magnificent from the crater rim and Ijen attracts tourists in spite of the difficulty in descending and ascending the steep crater walls. Hot springs and waterfalls also attract visitors. The outer rim of the crater is forested, and coffee plantations are common on the caldera floor.