At Indonesia’s Kawah Ijen Volcano, extremely high quantities of sulphuric gases emerge at high pressure and temperatures (sometimes in excess of 600 degree Celsius) along with the lava. Exposed to the oxygen present in air and sparked by lava, the sulphur burns readily, and its flames are bright blue. There’s so much sulfur, that at times it flows down the rock face as it burns, making it seem as though blue lava is spilling down the mountainside. But because only the flames are blue rather than the lava itself, the effect is only visible at night – during daytime, the volcano looks like any other.
Miners extract the sulfur rock, which is formed after the blue flames extinguish leaving behind a solid sulfur-rich rock. They then carry these large loads in baskets down the side of the mountain to be paid per kilogram. The work is unregulated and small children can often be seen scrambling up and down the slopes hoping to support their family’s low incomes with additional money. They usually take two daily trips. Each local worker is paid about 680 Indonesian rupiahs per kilogram, the equivalent of about six USD cents.
The working conditions are highly dangerous. It does not only require agility and strength to walk up and down the volcano’s steep slopes, but workers are also exposed to the toxic sulfur gases for long periods of time. Without gas masks or other safety equipment, many of the mine’s workers suffer long-term health problems resulting from sulfur exposure. These volcanic materials make it one of the more dangerous places on Earth.
Picture Credit : Google