4 ms·

In the Lava Mountains

98 points by rachbelaid 14y ago

7952 14y ago
A full set of photos is available here [1]. It looks to be the Tolbachik complex in the Far East of Russia. http://lusika33.livejournal.com/36315.html http://lusika33.livejournal.com/36315.html.
- pshc 14y ago
  Really nice to be able to get at the full-sized (albeit watermarked) versions. http://lusika33.livejournal.com/ http://lusika33.livejournal.com/ has all of the lava albums and much more!
- dspeyer 14y ago
  Can anyone fill in the geology of this? Geographically, I'd expect an Andes-like volcano from the subduction of the pacific plate, but they're talking about rivers of basalt.
JasonFruit 14y ago
More information and a less fluffy title would have been welcome. I'm just as interested in impressive photos of volcanic activity when it doesn't pretend to have something to do with Tolkien's (admittedly very good) books.
- greenyoda 14y ago
  A search for volcanoes in Russia turned up this article, which has more information: http://rt.com/news/volcano-erupts-russia-kamchatka-810 http://rt.com/news/volcano-erupts-russia-kamchatka-810 "Torrents of lava are coming down the magnificent slopes of Plosky Tolbachik, one of the biggest volcanoes in Russia’s Far East region. The volcano 'woke up' in November last year - after more than thirty-five years of being dormant. ..." A short video of the eruption can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9908916/Spectacular-eruptions-and-lava-flows-at-Russian-volcano.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9908...
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
galvanist 14y ago
Nit-pick: The "real" "Mordor on earth" is Mt. Tongariro on the north island of New Zealand. The 3-4 day trail around Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe is one of New Zealand's spectacular "Great Walks." If you have the opportunity to visit New Zealand, you should take the time for at least one of these walks. http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/the-lord-of-the-rings.html http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/the-lord-of-the-rings.ht...
- ericcholis 14y ago
  Been there, did (some of) that, it really is an amazing hike.
  - prawn 14y ago
    The crossing itself is done in a day and photos don't do it justice. Looked a bit ho-hum to me until I was there. Probably only one tiring bit (Devil's Staircase?) then the rest is pretty straightforward.
dromidas 14y ago
Is this North Dakota after all the fracking?
gngeal 14y ago
I seriously thought that this was going to be about the unbreathable air and destroyed environment in and around Norilsk...
D9u 14y ago
Nice pictures, but... It's so much more awesome to view an eruption in person. Especially when the lava fountains are visible from 25+ miles away. Standing nearby a 1500 foot lava fountain is truly a humbling experience. (Kilauea)
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
rachbelaid 14y ago
Sorry for the initial fluffy title ;) I just found the initial title a bit lame, but I mainly posted it on HN because it reminded me some Mordor scenes... I found this pictures amazing and it's very impressive how close the guy stand from the lava.. I guess that the air is pretty cold but I m surprise how close the guy stand from the lava. For the one who know and remind Haroun Tazieff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haroun_Tazieff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haroun_Tazieff), he was always very well protected in his documentaries
yutyut 14y ago
Seeing photos like these always serves as a reminder to me of the wonders present on our own planet just waiting to be explored. It really puts this concrete and glass jungle that I call 'home' into perspective. I need a vacation.
sramsay 14y ago
These photos are breathtaking -- the sort of thing that makes one feel small in a colossal and complex world. It is the landscape of Milton and Dante come to life, beautiful and terrifying, ferocious and serene. But, Dude. Really? Standing on a curved precipice over a river of fire? You are absolutely fucking insane.

98 points by rachbelaid 14y ago

7952 14y ago

A full set of photos is available here [1]. It looks to be the Tolbachik complex in the Far East of Russia. http://lusika33.livejournal.com/36315.html http://lusika33.livejournal.com/36315.html.

pshc 14y ago
Really nice to be able to get at the full-sized (albeit watermarked) versions. http://lusika33.livejournal.com/ http://lusika33.livejournal.com/ has all of the lava albums and much more!
dspeyer 14y ago
Can anyone fill in the geology of this? Geographically, I'd expect an Andes-like volcano from the subduction of the pacific plate, but they're talking about rivers of basalt.

JasonFruit 14y ago

More information and a less fluffy title would have been welcome. I'm just as interested in impressive photos of volcanic activity when it doesn't pretend to have something to do with Tolkien's (admittedly very good) books.

greenyoda 14y ago
A search for volcanoes in Russia turned up this article, which has more information: http://rt.com/news/volcano-erupts-russia-kamchatka-810 http://rt.com/news/volcano-erupts-russia-kamchatka-810 "Torrents of lava are coming down the magnificent slopes of Plosky Tolbachik, one of the biggest volcanoes in Russia’s Far East region. The volcano 'woke up' in November last year - after more than thirty-five years of being dormant. ..." A short video of the eruption can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9908916/Spectacular-eruptions-and-lava-flows-at-Russian-volcano.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9908...
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]

galvanist 14y ago

Nit-pick: The "real" "Mordor on earth" is Mt. Tongariro on the north island of New Zealand. The 3-4 day trail around Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe is one of New Zealand's spectacular "Great Walks." If you have the opportunity to visit New Zealand, you should take the time for at least one of these walks. http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/the-lord-of-the-rings.html http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/the-lord-of-the-rings.ht...

ericcholis 14y ago
Been there, did (some of) that, it really is an amazing hike.
- prawn 14y ago
  The crossing itself is done in a day and photos don't do it justice. Looked a bit ho-hum to me until I was there. Probably only one tiring bit (Devil's Staircase?) then the rest is pretty straightforward.

dromidas 14y ago

Is this North Dakota after all the fracking?

gngeal 14y ago

I seriously thought that this was going to be about the unbreathable air and destroyed environment in and around Norilsk...

D9u 14y ago

Nice pictures, but... It's so much more awesome to view an eruption in person. Especially when the lava fountains are visible from 25+ miles away. Standing nearby a 1500 foot lava fountain is truly a humbling experience. (Kilauea)

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

rachbelaid 14y ago

Sorry for the initial fluffy title ;) I just found the initial title a bit lame, but I mainly posted it on HN because it reminded me some Mordor scenes... I found this pictures amazing and it's very impressive how close the guy stand from the lava.. I guess that the air is pretty cold but I m surprise how close the guy stand from the lava. For the one who know and remind Haroun Tazieff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haroun_Tazieff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haroun_Tazieff), he was always very well protected in his documentaries

yutyut 14y ago

Seeing photos like these always serves as a reminder to me of the wonders present on our own planet just waiting to be explored. It really puts this concrete and glass jungle that I call 'home' into perspective. I need a vacation.

sramsay 14y ago

These photos are breathtaking -- the sort of thing that makes one feel small in a colossal and complex world. It is the landscape of Milton and Dante come to life, beautiful and terrifying, ferocious and serene. But, Dude. Really? Standing on a curved precipice over a river of fire? You are absolutely fucking insane.