Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua. Timelapse footage of dawn over the active lava lake inside the Santiago crater, a small volcano within the enormous Masaya Volcano of Nicaragua. The lava is degassing, releasing quantities of fumes, such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, into the air. Masaya is a caldera: its cone collapsed after a violent eruption thousands of years ago, leaving a gigantic basin with steep sides. The basin now contains several small stratovolcanoes (conical volcanoes), including the live volcano, Santiago. Volcanoes are formed when molten rock (magma) forces its way up through weak points in the Earth's crust. |