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All Ethiopia Afar Zone 2 Dallol
AO Edited

Dallol

The hottest place on the planet.

Afar Zone 2, Ethiopia

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ser flac
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Dallol   A.Savin/Free Art License
Dallol   A.Savin/Free Art License
Dallol   A.Savin/Free Art License
Satellite view of Dallol   Yonas Kidane/CC BY 2.0
  Ji-Elle/Wikimedia
  Ji-Elle/Wikimedia
  Ji-Elle/Wikimedia
  Ji-Elle/Wikimedia
  Hervé Sthioul/Wikimedia
  Ji-Elle/Wikimedia
Salt deposits, formed and colored over time   Banco de Imágenes Geológicas/Flickr
  Achilli Family | Journeys/Flickr
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About

In the north of Ethiopia, hours from any populated area, is a vast expanse of brutal landscape unlike anywhere else in the world.

Dallol, in the Danakil Depression, is a boiling, salt-formed world completely hostile to human visitors. The Danakil Depression, also known as the Afar Depression, holds the distinction of being one of the lowest and hottest parts of the world.

On top of average temperatures of 94 degrees Fahrenheit, Dallol itself is surrounded by boiling hot springs, bringing hot minerals and toxic gas bubbles to the surface. Despite making Dallol uninhabited, these geological forces have actually made the area somewhat picturesque, coloring the lowlands with rusty orange, yellow, and green salt formations.

Dallol is extremely unwelcoming to inhabitation. However, a number of people have still ventured into the region for work, due to the high deposits of table salt in the area. Expeditions funded by Europe prior to World War I were shut down and dismantled throughout the first half of the 20th century. Later attempts by American, Indian, and Italian companies have resulted in thousands of mines throughout the region, but no permanent settlement.

Although it is now uninhabited, small structures made of salt bricks were created by the Afar people, when they were employed by mining companies throughout the 20th century. However, the majority of these have been abandoned and few traces of these settlements still exist.

Near the Dallol area in the same region is Erta Ale, the "Gateway to Hell," a smoking volcanic terrain complete with its own lava lakes. It is an equally harsh and unforgiving environment, and nearly impossible to reach.

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Natural Wonders Martian Landscapes Geological Oddities Geology Volcanoes Ecosystems Nature

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Added By

serflac

Edited By

Blue Jay Away, Allison, atimian, jmnk...

  • Blue Jay Away
  • Allison
  • atimian
  • jmnk
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

September 12, 2011

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Sources
  • http://geology.com/stories/13/dallol/
  • http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/dallol-minerals-photography.html
  • http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=221041
Dallol
Dallol
Afar Zone 2
Ethiopia
14.241667, 40.3
Get Directions

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Gaet’ale Pond

Afar Zone 2, Ethiopia

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Afar Zone 2

Afar Zone 2

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Photo of Afar Zone 2

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