Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like

Categories: Africa | Nature

In the northern part of the Afar basin in Ethiopia there is a place that scientists call a geological depression, and the locals call the Danakil depression.

If you haven't already become uncomfortable with the names alone, this place is one of the most inhospitable on the planet. The thing is that the valley is located above the fault point of three tectonic plates at once at 125 meters below sea level, which makes it one of the hottest places on earth — the average temperature there is 35 degrees Celsius, but reaches 50.

Volcanic activity heats the spring waters, bringing sulfur and iron to the surface, which leave green, yellow and orange streaks. And numerous geysers and sulfur springs ensure the complete absence of life in the valley, leaving behind only colorful acid pools and mineral lakes.

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look likeColored formations on the surface of hot springs. Photo: Eric Lafforgue (Eric Lafforgue: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look likeA camel caravan carrying bags of salt across the salt plain. Photo: Carl Court (Carl Court: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look likePhoto with an excerpt near the crater of the active Erta-Ale volcano. Photo: Mike Korostelev (Mike Korostelev: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look likePhoto: Wuthrich Didier (Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look likeA local man manually digs out salt blocks. Photo: Carl Court (Carl Court: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look likeSalt mountains near the Dallol volcano. Photo: Fredy Thuerig: Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look likeOrange waters of Lake Karum. Photo: Ruisswald (Rweisswald: Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look likePhoto: Eric Lafforgue (Eric Lafforgue: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Salt deposits formed around the geyser. Photo: Tanguy de Saint-Cyr (Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like A geyser is nearby. Photo: Tanguy de Saint-Cyr (Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like A source of sulfur near Lake Dallol. Photo: Einat Klein (Einat Klein: Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Sulfur Lake. Photo: Carl Court (Carl Court: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Erta-Ale is a constantly active basalt volcano in the center of the valley. Photo: Harry Jarvelainen (Harri Jarvelainen: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like A tourist near the Erta-Ale crater. Photo: Eric Lafforgue (Eric Lafforgue: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Frozen lava flow from the volcano crater. Photo: Anastasia Koro (Anastasia Koro: Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Frozen lava at the crater. Photo: Ji-Elle

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Mineral deposits near the Dallol volcano. Photo: Mikluha Maklai (Mikluha Maklai: Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Mushroom-like mineral deposits. Photo: Tanguy de Saint-Cyr (Shutterstock)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Sulfur deposits close-up. Photo: Carl Court (Carl Court: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Salt lakes of the valley: aerial view. Photo: Michel Toulouse (Reuters)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Photo: Carl Court (Carl Court: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Camel caravan at the entrance to the Danakil depression. Every morning hundreds of local men make their way to the hollow to extract salt, which they then sell all over the country. Photo: Zacharias Abubeker (Zacharias Abubeker: AFP)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like A branch covered with salt on the surface of the lake. Photo: Carl Court (Carl Court: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Photo: Carl Court (Carl Court: Getty)

Death Valley in Ethiopia: what does the most lifeless place on the planet look like Photo: Siegfried Modola (Siegfried Modola: Reuters)

Keywords: Horn of Africa | Depression | Volcanoes | Geyser | Valley | Land | Place | Planet | Salt | Photos | Ethiopia

Post News Article

Recent articles

What did Madonna look like when only the neighborhood kids knew her
What did Madonna look like when only the neighborhood kids ...

A year before Madonna first appeared on television and confidently told American Bandstand host Dick Clark that she was going to ...

Why in the old days the husband and wife slept separately and why this custom has returned to our days
Why in the old days the husband and wife slept separately and ...

It is well known that a person sleeps a third of his life. It is not surprising that so many customs are associated with sleep. ...

The tragic life of bearded women Annie Jones, who was a real lady
The tragic life of bearded women Annie Jones, who was a real lady

Even in the middle of the XX century, when people came close to solving the mystery of the atom and was looking for ways to reach ...

Related articles

Hugs-helpers: how hugs improve health and help you lose weight
Hugs-helpers: how hugs improve health and help you lose weight

During the pandemic, people are wary of kissing and hugging, but no one forbade expressing their love in the family circle. ...

The coolest draw for April 1: an American fooled the city by causing a volcano eruption
The coolest draw for April 1: an American fooled the city by ...

In the city of Sitka in Alaska (formerly Novo-Arkhangelsk), there lived a welder named Oliver Bikar, nicknamed Piggy. He worked in ...

Heal yourself, or How to overcome the ailments that we invent for ourselves
Heal yourself, or How to overcome the ailments that we invent ...

According to the information provided by WHO, at least 25% of the population of our planet have some kind of mental problems. This ...