As of Jun 19, 2026, 8:54 PM, in season now. Earth Exhibit tracks the live conditions and flags it the moment it is on.
Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Maasai 'Mountain of God' rising above the Great Rift Valley near Lake Natron, is the only volcano on the planet currently erupting natrocarbonatite — a bizarre, carbonate-rich lava that pours out around 500–590°C, less than half the temperature of ordinary basalt.
It is the coolest, most fluid lava known: it flows almost like dark oil, and where ordinary lava glows orange, fresh natrocarbonatite is so cool that by daylight it looks jet black, fading to ghostly white within hours as it reacts with moisture in the air.
The current effusive phase has continued since 2017, with small lava flows and spattering confined deep inside the steep summit crater.
Honest expectation: this is not a roadside lava lake — the activity sits inside the crater, reached by a hard overnight climb, and visible incandescence varies and is faint at the low temperature.
Many climbers see the black/white lava and active hornitos by day rather than a bright glow.
Where to see it
A taste of where to see it. The full map, exact coordinates and the best timing for each spot live in the app.
| Viewing spots |
|---|
| Ol Doinyo Lengai Summit Crater |
| Engare Sero Village (Trailhead / Base) |
| + 1 more spot, with exact coordinates and timing, in the app → |
This is the short version
This page shows a taste. The app has the full list of where to see this, the exact timing, and live conditions for 1,000+ natural phenomena worldwide, so you know the moment one is genuinely worth the trip.