Scientists journey into an active volcano crater

This is not a special-effects still from an upcoming movie. Instead, it's a photo taken at Nyiragongo Volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and National Geographic has the story of a team of Congolese seismologists who journeyed into Nyiragongo's crater to study the volcano's massive lava lake, and try to learn more about what's going on inside a mountain that could potentially kill thousands.

This photo, taken by Carsten Peter, shows a scientist walking on cooled lava within the volcano's caldera. The red color comes from a reflection of the light off the nearby lava lake. There's lots more breath-taking photos on the National Geographic site.

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

Maggie goes places and talks to people. Find out where she'll be speaking next.

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emmdeeaych

Sam: What are you waiting for? Just let it go!

Frodo: The ring is mine.
boo

Absolutely stunning photos, but that is what National Geographic does best.

And before this I thought that the storm chasers were crazy …
Anonymous

Bravery in the name of science…
shouldn’t they have like, a standard bearer or something?

-Blaze
RSFSmee

Point 1: Am I the only one who is reminded very strongly of the album-art from Rick Wakeman’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth?”

Point 2: Proof of why we need to go to space — geology needs to be done in person, even when it’s ferociously perilous

Point 3: Fantastic. These people really *do* need a medal.
Anonymous

Amazing. That lava pool is incredible.

Also, epic embark site.
Prufrock451

I have the high ground!
Lumpmoose

Great pictures, but they’re so dramatic that it’s hard to tell what’s going on. I recommend these to accompany them: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/02/nyiragongo_crater_journey_to_t.html
Anonymous

There’s really only one thing I can say in response to this.

THE FLOOR IS LAVA.
- Ugly Canuck
  
  Anon #13:
  
  LAAAAVVVVAAAA!
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX9Qdf4P2yA
  
  The dance floor is lava too!
joeposts

He should get some buckets and build an obsidian farm.
phisrow

Badass; but I have to wonder if a cheap R/C quadrocopter might have been a better choice than an expensive and flammable geologist for sample gathering…
- Anonymous
  
  I suspect nothing cheap would be able to take the heat, approaching something hot from above is a bad idea and from the sound of it no robot could have gotten there horizontally.
- penguinchris
  
  Well, I guess there are many reasons people become geologists, but for many (including myself) one of the main reasons was to potentially have the chance to do stuff like this. If there was a choice between flying in an R/C helicopter or being able to relatively safely walk out there in person, 99% of geologists would choose to go in person.
  
  Geology field work is special – you go to extreme places not just because you can (like mountaineers and other extreme sports kinds of things), but for the advancement of scientific knowledge – *and* because you can :)
  
  That said, most geologists never have the opportunity to do any particularly cool field work, even if they want to.
Anonymous

Don’t stand in the fire, noob.
Cowicide

Did the CEO from Godaddy throw any live elephants into the lava while they were there?
Anonymous

That’s a PHOTO?!

I thought it was a drawing or painting or something! Amazing!
Anonymous

No comment on the epic skull in the bottom right quarter of the photo, or how “Gon[e]” is written in the dark spots lava, across the center of the photo? And like, I’m not trying to be one of those “I found jesus in my burger” types.
Modusoperandi

Pbbt! That crater’s not so active.^*

* Punchline to Shaggy volcano story.
Anonymous

Wouldn’t it be easier to move the people? I’d say building a town in such an obviously bad spot wasn’t such a good idea in the first place and trying to protect it is a losing proposition in the long run.