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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Masaya volcano, a sloshing lava lake

This is Mike...
Last night we went to Masaya Volcano National Park which was closed for many months due to subterranean activity. To say the volcano was beautiful is an understatement. The sloshing, gurgling movement of the lava was hypnotic and surreal all at the same time. We were perched on the edge of an almost vertical crater looking straight down into the abyss. The pool of lava was probably about 100 meters below us and was approximately an acre in size, though judging exact distance was difficult without a point of reference. Park authorities are controlling the number of people entering the summit to about 150 people or so at a time. I am sure the government is limiting the amount of visitors to minimize potential perils. Truth be told, there is not much up there and one could easily lose a camera or worse over the edge.
   In the darkness, the color spectrum came to life with intense yellow and orange colors colliding with the white and red colors. On the crater walls, Shadows and light danced together creating an other worldly scene. The sloshing lava sounded just like crashing waves on a beach. The lava lake was spitting and gurgling and gently rose and lowered depending on the gases in the volcano at that time. People, including us, were walking around in the dark on uneven rocky surfaces to get the perfect photos. I can see why the government wants to limit the amount of people at any one time. Nature is amazing and for our kids it was a lesson in geology, mixed with some art, and a splash of exercise.




A view to the inner world.

The walls of the crater were stunning.

Ebb and flow best describes the magma activity.

The magma rose and lowered several times while we were there.

Amazing experience for the family to see.

Sierra and Zoe looking into the pool of lava.
   

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