Abstract
Ethiopia may not be the first country to come to mind when considering where to find active volcanoes to visit. Located on the horn of Africa, at the southeastern margin of the Sahara Desert, Ethiopia is better known for its archeological and historical tourism, as well as its struggles with famine and concerns with neighbors South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea. However, one of the rare treasures of active volcanoes, a roiling and churning lake of lava (Fig. 23.1), resides within Ethiopia’s borders and draws volcanologists and adventurers from around the world to its edge. Aside from the volcano, the Dallol geothermal region is one of the most wonderfully colorful and photogenic volcanic landscapes in the world, still largely unknown, though at risk of having its fragile environment damaged by unprotected tourism.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Marco Fulle and Roberto Carniel for reviewing this chapter and answering many of our questions about Erta Ale. We thank our 2011 expedition team colleagues Serina Diniega, James and Irene Dorsey, Ken Freund, and Ralph Lorenz, our guide Getnet Tilahun and 13 Suns Tours for logistical arrangements. Part of this work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA.
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Lopes, R.M.C., Radebaugh, J. (2014). Erta Ale and the Danakil Rift Zone. In: Erfurt-Cooper, P. (eds) Volcanic Tourist Destinations. Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16191-9_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16191-9_23
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