The Mountain of God and Its Black Lava
The Maasai call it the Mountain of God. It's the only volcano on Earth that erupts black lava, which turns white within days.
What was reported
Ol Doinyo Lengai rises above Lake Natron in northern Tanzania. Its name means 'Mountain of God' in Maa, and the Maasai believe their god Engai lives there; people come to pray at its foot for rain and children.
It's strange in a scientific way too. Its lava is black or brown, flows almost as runny as water, and is much cooler than other lavas, glowing only faintly at night. Within a day or two of cooling, it turns white, so the summit looks snow-covered.
Explanations offered
The lava is natrocarbonatite, rich in sodium and potassium carbonates rather than the silica found in other lavas. No other active volcano is known to erupt it. When it meets moisture in the air, it reacts and turns white.
- When
- Sacred for centuries; studied since the 1960s
- Where
- Ngorongoro, Arusha, Tanzania
- Witnesses
- Maasai tradition, and volcanologists
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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