Kawah Ijen sulphur mining

Kawah Ijen sulphur mining
Kawah Ijen is a 2799 meter high active vulcano in West Java, which has a one-kilometer-wide turquoise-colored acid crater lake. The lake is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation.
An active vent at the edge of the lake is a source of sulphur. Escaping volcanic gasses are channeled through a network of ceramic pipes, resulting in condensation of molten sulfur. The sulphur, which is coloured deep orange when molten, pours slowly from the ends of these pipes and pools on the ground, turning bright yellow as it cools down and hardens. The cooled sulphur is broken into large pieces and carried out in baskets by the miners.
Average loads range between 70 to 100 kilograms. About 250 miners carry the sulphur from the crater lake approximately 200