Do you know that a lake can be very acidic? It is in the arms of an active volcano in East Java which mesmerises people to see. The turquoise-coloured lake keeps lethal power inside. Beside the magma chamber which is still there, the lake is ridiculously acidic. Ijen Crater does not only have beauty but also its extreme acidic lake. Ijen Crater is also well-known as the largest acidic crater lake in the world with the diameter of 722 metres.
The lake's acidity is due to the inflow of hydrothermal waters and gases from a hot magma chamber below the volcano. It always boils the water every time. Its volcanic gases and sulphur also contribute to its extreme acidity, with a pH less than 0.5 which is even lower than battery.
The first eruption of Ijen is recorded in 1796. It was a phreatic eruption. In 1817, Ijen's crater lake collapsed and triggered massive mudflows which engulfed the nearest villages around it. This water lake also overflowed several times due to its intense eruption in 1917, and 1921-1923.
A large and hazardous volcano but it always unfolds beauty, that can describe how Ijen Crater always sparks the Earth. Even though people know its beauty but they have to realise that it has its risky part within. Safety always comes first if you want to visit Ijen Crater. So that your trip will be enjoyable and unforgattable.
