MicrocosmosLate Katia Krafft described Lengai as a «Toy Volcano». Here we offer you a visit to this Lilliput world, characterized by details at the smallest scales. As usual the pictures on this page link to larger photos (about 40 to 140 KB). | |||
 During the filling phases of the lava lake, the frozen lake surface cracks, building up miniature erupting volcanoes. |  Cooling lava contracts, opening cracks in its contracting surface: gas sublimation condenses sodium salt on the cracks. |  A miniature channel contains a waterlike flow of deep black molten lava reflecting the blue colour of sky. |  These miniature channels change their colour during twilight, from brown through red to dull orange. |
 Meduse's Hairs born from the lava lake? Volcanologists call them «Intestinal Flows»: they are due to magma differentiation. |  Mushrooms born on the flank of a Hornito? Where gas can escape, gas sublimation condenses sodium salt in the most phantastic shapes. |  Oil springs in the Lybian Desert? It is hard to believe this liquid is a melt rejecting us with its strong heat. |  A rising Sky Dolphin crowns Hornito T40 and a miniature lava flow from lake T49E. |
 Life and Death on Lengai: a miniature volcano disappears under a running aa lava flow. |  Life is coming on Lengai: the green shadow given to sodium salt comes from algae living in this extreme environment. |  Steady waves in a lava channel draw all black sfumatures over fresh brown and hydrated white natrocarbonatite lava. |  An unusual setting Big Dipper looks at the red snake advancing on the brown lava fields of Lengai's crater. |
 Sublimating gases are sometimes rich in sulphur: its crystals are here close to a sodium salt chimney. |  Sodium salts are here coloured by brown and yellow algae. |  Meteoric water may as well solve the sodium salt, building up real salt stalactites. |  Like in carsic caves, stalactites build up stalagmites at their bottom, coloured by salt algae. |