
Sydney stopover
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Lopevi island seen on the flight to Ambrym
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landing on Ulei airfield
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driving the main 'highway' to Endu village |

organizing our porters |

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walking along the beach |

a few km to the N a forest trail starts |

climbing the volcanoes flanks through dense forest |

first view to the Marum crater complex from the rim of the ashplane |

beginning of the ashplane |

crossing the forested part of the ashplain |

the porters resting near our camp |
S view from Marum to the ashplane |

Lopevi volcano behind the ashplanes caldera rim |

ashplane to the N with little Marum volcano |

our camp at Marums crater rim |

the Marum volcano has many side craters, one with a very low level lava pond inside to the right |

on the way to Benbow volcano, the landscape is submerged in gas cloud from Marum complex |

Benbows crater rim |

bizarre ash landscape at the craters flanks eroded by heavy rainfall |

erosion gullys near Benbow |

main crater of Benbow after climbing down, lava lake level is too low to be seen even from the inner rim |

on the way back to our camp at Marum, volcanic gases giving surreal sunset colors |

walking along Marums crater rim |

eroded spire standing out of the inner crater wall |

view down into the lava lake |

Marums extremely steep inner crater walls |

the lava lake at dusk |

panoramic view, to the left S-crater, right main crater with lava lake inside |

Arnold (left) and Thorsten photographing Marums lava lake |

view down to the lake from S-rim |

lake storm phase |

upwelling lava lake
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bursting of huge lava bubble
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more silent lake with fountaining on its E-side |

ejecting lava shreds |

more silent phase with lava bubbles breaking sodified crust |

small fountains breaking the crust |

silvery crust to the left under midday sun |

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inner pit crater |

fountains breaking crust |

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Marums crater at midday |

dust devil at midday |

Marums crater under sulphur filtered sun |

Thorsten photographing the lava lake |

Marums crater under its on gas cloud |

sulphur filtered light giving yellowish colors |

silent lava lake seen from S-rim |

small break off on the right side of the inner pit crater |

break off rocks falling into the lava lake without disturbing it |

walking near the rim |

permanently foggy nights do not allow night views into the craters |

at sunrise the crater is clearing up, each night this is the same |

often sulphuric gasses filling the steep crater, our tents are visible behind to the mid right |

side craters of Marum |

Benbow with its steam cloud |

Marum with sulphuric cloud above |

old lava pillow |

eroded ash flank of Marum |

colorful fallout material |

steam and gas mixture in front of Benbow |

deeper down to the ashplane the eroded crater flanks forming flood gullys |

here many plants have their home |
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for example orchids |

and mosses |

steaming Marum crater seen from inactive and green side crater |

our friendly guide Soloman while cooking |

eroded ash flank of Benbow |

panoramic view of Benbow crater
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Benbow crater |

fountaining lava lake
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fountaining lava lake |

lava lake in afternoon light |

rainbow in front of a small showee |

the E-part of the ashplain become overgrown with forest |

different gas colors above Marums crater |

again - a foggy night |

our porters are carrying down the luggage after 6 nights on top |

the green neighbour of Marum from its other side |

campsite near forest for porters, guides and normal tourists |

beautiful forest near E-side of the ashplane |

interesting plans near the trail |

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our guesthouse in Enaru |

Thorsten filming the locals |
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tree roots |

tree fruits |
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ceremony area |

custom dance in the rain |

custom dance in the rain |

string band playing |

cooking banana lap lap |

children of Enaru village |

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cooking inside the house |

copra production |

refining the leave enveloped food under hot rocks |

local christian church |

our 1 day delayed airplane finally arriving after heavy rainfalls |

better to have an airplane without copilot instead of none... |
VIDEOCLIPS >>>
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lava lake seen from E-rim |

lava lake seen from E-rim |

lava lake seen from S-rim |

local children |

inland marked place under giant tree |

at the market |

small river eroding the Yasur ashplane |

Yasurs strombolian activity at dusk |

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rainbow above Yasurs ashplain |

big lava shreds flying inside the crater |

small lava shred |

huge lava shred, many meters in size |

the N-crater having mainly ash eruptions |

ash eruption from the N-crater |

fallout zone around the crater peppered with lava bombs |

strombolian activity at dusk |

strombolian activity brightens steam under a starry sky |

ash eruption illuminated by lava |

ash eruption illuminated by lava |

ash eruption illuminated by lava |

ash eruption illuminated by lava |

steam cloud illuminated by lava |

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ash eruption in a full moon night |

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strombolian activity inside both craters |

lava illuminated ash cloud |

ash eruption at dawn |

ash eruption at dawn |

strong ash eruption in morning light |

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lava bombs flying in front of ascending ash cloud |

rainbow in front of approaching shower |

ashplane below Yasurs flank |

lonesome lavabomb at Yasurs foot |

isolated plant growing inside ash plane |

strombolian activity inside both craters |

illuminated inner walls at night |

gas flames emanating from side vents |

inner crater under heavy bomardment |

inner crater rim under bombardment |

first moment of a strong strombolian eruption |

strombolian in the night |

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dawn is approaching |

very first moment of an eruption |

extremely fast ascending steam cloud with lava bombs following |
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heavy vent opening ash eruption followed by very hot and glowing ash |

glowing ash cloud |

dimishing gow after a few seconds |

further cooling down |

after vent opener from above a ash eruption phase followed |

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lava bombs with condensation trails |

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sky above eruption cloud is full of lava shreds |

silent phase |

tree ferns in respectful distance to the active crater |

tree ferns on the way down |

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many meter sized lava bomb near tourist viewpoint |

S-view to Tannas main mountain range |

Arnold photographing recently fallen and still hot lava bomb at Yasurs outer flank |

another still hot lava bomb |

evening light |

strombolian eruption with bright meteor above, a nice spectacle for the eye but nearly too much contrast for the camera |

strombolians getting way bigger, wide angle lens is not enough |

even a 10mm ultrawide is not enough... |

soon the lava bombs are flying over the photographer with sound like war bombing, hitting the outer flanks... |

...and glowing for many minutes |

dawn is coming |
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big lava shreds above the vent |

some eruptions ejecting a high lava amount |
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visiting Port resolution village |

childs of Port resolution |

open air kitchen |

south sea beach |

thats how coconuts are travelling |
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Port resolution bay |

giant tree |

lava shreds in daylight |

lava shreds in daylight |

lava shreds in daylight |

lava shreds in daylight |

now after each eruption the inner lava lake jumps high above its normal level and greets the observer shortly |
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first phase of an strong eruption |

wide angle view of lava lake jump |

sometimes parts of the lake are overflowing |
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another first phase... |

...with bursting bubble shortly after |

collapsing lake vanishing into its vent again |
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very first moment of an eruption at dusk |

silent phase at dusk |

strombolian at dusk |
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VIDEOCLIPS >>> |
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