Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai

To the Masai people, the name Ol Doinyo Lengai means “The Mountain of God.” A part of the volcanic system of the Great Rift Valley, Ol Doinyo Lengai is an active volcano located in the Eastern Rift Valley, north part of Tanzania. It is interesting to note that in this part of the East African Rift Valley, this "Mountain of God" is the only active volcano.

To live up to its name, Ol Doinyo Lengai baffled scientists from all over when it produced natrocarbonatite lava, the only volcano in the world ever to do so. Another interesting fact is that the temperature of the lava oozing out from it is only around 510 °C (950 °F), the lowest temperature among all the other volcanoes. If we can associate God to the word miracle, then this natural occurrence is nothing short of miraculous.

Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai also has phases of explosive activity during which the composition of the lava may contain much more silicate material. With this type of eruption, initial phases of the eruption may include strong lava fountains but usually there is no fluid lava and ash eruptions accompanied by ejection of rocks and explosions occurs. The two most recent eruptions of this type occurred during 1966-1967 and 2007-2008. Almost without fail, about every seven years Ol doinyo Lengai erupts and plumes of smoke billow out of the crater. At other times it is possible to walk down into the crater, almost to the edge of the molten lava flows.

Views in the north from its summit crater lies the hot barren salt flats of Lake Natron stretch into the distance, beyond lies the Kenyan border. The day temperatures by the lake often exceed 40°C and a few animals survive here with the flamingo making its home here as breeding grounds, nesting on the salty surface on upraised mounds. The view on the east is dominated by Mt Kilimanjaro and to the west the forested escarpments and hills comprising the western slopes of the Great African Rift Valley.