The Mysterious Blue Lava - A volcano that emits blue burning flames instead of producing the usual red

On hearing the name of a volcano, a picture of hot red lava just starts coming in our mind, but do you know there is a place in the world where a volcano spews out blue lava, it seems strange to hear but this is true. You might not believe it, but this volcano that spewing out blue-colored lava is part of a complex of volcanoes located in Banyuwangi Regency, Indonesia. The name of this beautiful looking volcano is Kawah Ijen. Looking like a science fiction movie, this volcano has been the subject of research for scientists for years. Earlier, scientists kept looking at its blue color by relating it to its temperature, but now the real reason behind its color has been revealed. Kawah Ijen volcano is also known as an Electric Blue Fire Crater. It is the largest blue flame region in the world and locals refer to it as Api Biru, which means Blue Fire. Unlike other volcanoes whose bright red lava is visible during the day, Kawah Ijen’s blue burning flames are only visible at night. At night, the lava emanating from the volcano looks glowing blue that offers a beautiful natural phenomenon of blue burning flames. 

This volcano is slightly different from the rest of the volcanoes of our planet, according to new research, the lava emanating from the volcanic crater is affected by the chemical complex surrounding it. Here the rocks around the crater have a high amount of sulfur, as soon as the lava comes out, it starts to appear blue after exposure to sulfur. According to scientists, when the volcano's sulfuric gases come into contact with the air temperature above 360°C, then they start to appear blue, in such a way, the smoke emanating from it also appears blue. But this smoke only appears blue at night, during the day, it looks white because our eyes cannot detect its blue color during the day.

Here you can also find a lake within the crater, which has been recognized as the world's largest highly acidic crater lake. This turquoise-colored crater lake is quite spectacular, but it can still put your life in danger. But as much as this volcano remains in the limelight for its beautiful phenomenon like Blue Flames, it also reveals a dark secret. It is home to one of the world's most dangerous sulfur mining operations. Since National Geographic mentioned it on TV, the tourist numbers here have increased a lot, especially those who travel to East Java.