2006 Expedition


This year's stay on Lengai from 4 - 8 August revealed a dramatically changed but inactive crater.  Since August 2005, a large area of the central crater has collapsed, and a huge lava flow has extended down the western flank of Lengai to its base. 

A detailed description of the crater and its activity has been posted on the 2006 News page.

Members of the 2006 expedition were Peter Elliston and his daughter, Jennifer Elliston.

 

View looking NW from the SE crater rim showing T49B and the collapse zone.

 

 

Looking into CP2 from the SE. The flank of T37B is to the immediate right, T49B is beyond the pit.

 

 

A tunnel at the bottom of CP2 leads into CP1.  The rear wall shows a layer of lava from an eruption which may have happened on June 20, 2006.

 

 

Solidified lava lake inside CP1, looking east. Note the horizontal lava "tide mark" on the wall of the pit which indicates the prior level of an active lava lake, possibly active on June 20 2006.

 

 

Jennifer Elliston stands near unstable ground on the south edge of CP1.

 

 

Stalactites grew under the edge of the thermally eroded lava channel that drained T58B in March-April 2006.

 

 

Peter Elliston walks in the huge lava channel near the West Crater Rim Overflow.

 

 

Thermal erosion formed this gully below the West Crater Rim Overflow during the March-April 2006 eruption.

 

 

This lava flowed from T58B to the base of Lengai during the March-April 2006 eruption.

 

 

This tumulus formed near the climbing track during the March-April eruption.

 

 

View of the collapse zone from the summit.

 

 

View of the expedition camp in the South Crater

 

 

Looking across the collapse zone to a cave that has formed inside T46.

 

 

Ominous clouds above T49B and the collapse zone on Aug 6, 2006