Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Journey to one of the most extreme places on Earth.

TOM: The whole wall over here seems to be on fire,

blue fire.

It is a truly hellish place.

NARRATOR: Where miners brave a toxic environment

to carry out their back-breaking work.

ANDI: It's about 68 kilograms.

NARRATOR: Then it's on to Hell's island...

[Explosion]

NARRATOR: Home to one of the most active volcanoes

on the planet...

[Explosion]

NARRATOR: ...where it rains fire at night,

in nature's greatest spectacle.

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NARRATOR: Indonesia is one of the most volcanically active

countries in the world.

Its more than 17,000 islands are largely

the result of volcanos.

NARRATOR: The most populated island is Java,

which has 45 active volcanoes.

At the very edge of Java you'll find Ijen Caldera,

an ancient volcano that erupted violently 50,000 years ago...

creating a massive crater the size of New York city.

Since then, many new volcanos have formed

around this crater.

Ijen is an area of contrasts.

The nutrient volcanic soils make it one of the best

growing areas in Indonesia.

NARRATOR: Rice and coffee plantations have made this region wealthy

by Indonesian standards.

It's a stark contrast to the volcanic landscapes

just above the town.

NARRATOR: Volcanologist and photographer Tom Pfeiffer

has been to Ijen many times before,

but he is back with fellow guide Andi Rosanto

because of a recent discovery that is exciting

the volcano world.

Ijen produces an extremely rare phenomenon

called blue fire.

But it's only been discovered recently.

That's because it happens at the bottom of the crater,

which is one of the most inhospitable

and toxic places on Earth.

Visitors had been restricted to daylight hours,

and the blue fire can only be seen at night.

NARRATOR: Tom is back to photograph them for a new book

he is putting together on the world's active volcanoes.

TOM: It's a major tourist attraction...

both for its beautiful lake, the scenery,

but mainly for the occurrence of these huge sulfur deposits

and the human activity that's going on there,

the mining.

All this makes you maybe even forget it is actually

one of the most dangerous volcanoes.

NARRATOR: This is because Ijen erupts every 10-20 years,

and it can produce phreatic eruptions

where water comes into contact with magma

and flashes to steam, causing a major explosion.

These eruptions can occur without any warning.

The dangers are an occupational hazard

for a volcanologist.

The crater is a 30-minute drive outside of town,

a modest hour and half to the crater rim.

NARRATOR: The hike starts out fairly easy,

but as you climb higher, you're quickly reminded

by the changes in the landscape

and strong odor of rotten eggs

that this is an active volcano.

The crater rim is a charred and desolate landscape,

reminiscent of a primordial world.

At the bottom of this crater is Kiawah Ijen,

a turquoise acid lake: beautiful, but deadly.

TOM: There you can see the plumes coming up from there.

There is an area of extremely active fumaroles,

small fractures in the rock where sulfur gasses come out.

NARRATOR: The blue flames can be seen at night

at the base of these jets.

The gas is an eerie reminder that fresh magma

lies just below the crater floor.

sulfur is one of the most abundant trace elements

in magma.

As magma rises from inside the earth,

sulfur dioxide and other gases are released.

Because they are lighter and under intense pressure,

they work their way up through cracks and weakness

in the ground.

TOM: Ijen produces a lot of sulfur.

It ranks probably in the top five volcanoes

when it comes to sulfur output.

NARRATOR: Why this happens is still a mystery to scientists.

TOM: You see, each volcano is so different

from another volcano.

It's as if they have their own personalities,

something which makes volcanology

so extremely interesting.

You can't always compare one volcano to another.

Each is completely different.

NARRATOR: One of the pluses of a volcano that produces this much sulfur

is that it can be mined.

Liquid sulfur flows out of the base of these jets.

Sulfur mining is a decades old tradition here.

And for these miners, little has changed.

The work is physically demanding

and every hour they spend in the crater

shortens their life.

There are about two hundred miners working here

in 'round the clock' shifts.

Despite the dangerous gases, most of them can't afford

protective gas masks or gloves.

The miners pay dearly for working in these

toxic conditions.

They all have health issues from breathing this toxic air.

Few live beyond 60 years of age.

The miners make two trips a day

carrying their weight in sulfur.

Once they've filled their buckets

with the hardened sulfur,

the miners make their way up the treacherous paths

to the rim,

and then down to a weigh station.

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NARRATOR: Many miners develop spinal problems

and separated shoulders that end their careers.

These men represent what is likely the last generation

of miners who will work at Ijen.

Their children have more opportunities

than their fathers,

and are moving to the big cities.

ANDI: It's about 68 kilograms.

They can carry like 60 to 75 kilograms,

and this is the first time they have to put it in

the weigh stations to get a coupon.

So, after they get the coupon they can keep the coupon

to get some money to change to the factory.

It's like, uh, yeah, nine dollars.

NARRATOR: From here the sulfur goes to be refined.

TOM: So this is the first processing facility

for the sulfur that was extracted from Ijen crater,

where the raw sulfur blocks are being melted.

Once it's boiling it's still full of sand

and other particles that are not useful.

He scoops it out and passes it through

at first a very rough filter.

The liquid runs down to over there where a second person

uses paper filters to extract coarser sand.

NARRATOR: The sulfur mined here has many uses:

in medicines for people living with HIV,

to diet supplements for vegans.

Sulfur is the third most abundant mineral

in our body by weight,

and the sixth most abundant macro mineral in breast milk.

It's used widely in the manufacturing of plastics.

It also is a key ingredient the vulcanization of rubber,

a process developed by Charles Goodyear

that uses sulfur to make tires more durable.

The demand for sulfur from places like Ijen

is decreasing.

This element is a by-product of oil and gas

refining process, which is much cheaper.

But, as the chapter closes on the mining industry

here at Ijen, a new chapter is opening,

driven by blue fire.

Many former miners have now turned to guiding tourists

to the blue flames

because to get a permit to make the nighttime descent,

you need a local guide.

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TOM: This whole wall seems to be, like, on blue fire.

It is a truly hellish place.

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If we go there to take pictures from close

we definitely need gas masks.

There's no way you can breathe this without one.

Even here we have to be careful.

If the wind turns we have to put them on.

Fortunately it seems the wind is relatively stable tonight

and all goes this way, so we're good here.

It's an absolutely amazing sight.

I've never seen anything like this.

NARRATOR: The blue flames occur naturally.

Because of the extreme heat, the pure sulfur ignites

as soon as it is exposed to air.

TOM: You can't see the flames in daylight.

I guess they're there,

but you need the darkness to make them visible.

In daylight they're just too faint,

you don't notice them.

NARRATOR: Tom wants to see where the liquid sulfur

is pouring out.

The sulfur gases burn blue, giving it the appearance

of flowing blue lava.

But the noxious cloud is giving him trouble.

TOM: Sorry, it's very difficult to be here

without the gas mask, so excuse me

if I have to put it on from time to time.

Yes, we're in the middle of the fumes.

Without the gas mask it would be hell.

I'm really glad this works.

I don't know how long, but for now it's okay.

The winds will turn again.

Okay, the wind-- Maybe not.

It hasn't turned.

NARRATOR: Because of the wind, Tom isn't able

to get down to see where the liquid sulfur

is flowing out.

He'll have to try another time.

Even in the dark, their work goes on.

Since the discovery of the blue flames,

increasing numbers of visitors

are coming to the crater.

ANDI: Yeah, so now we can see the miners are working

collecting sulfur, and in extreme conditions.

But now at least they have gas masks

and then, you know, it's better conditions,

but still it's kind of an extreme job, I think.

NARRATOR: How long these blue flames will continue to draw in

adventurous tourists is unknown.

It's almost certain this volcano will erupt again.

When it does, nature will take back the sulfur banks,

and with it its blue flames.

But for now, Tom has his visual record

of this special event in nature

and the people who braved these dangerous conditions

to eke out an existence so they can feed their families.

Each and every volcano is unique to photograph.

Tom's favorite eruptions are Strombolian.

These are small in scale and occur at regular intervals.

They shoot glowing rocks everywhere

and make for dramatic photos.

Raung volcano next to Ijen

is known for Strombolian eruptions

of varying intensities.

But unfortunately the volcano's crater

is almost inaccessible.

The active vent is on the top of a high mountain,

inside a deep crater.

Andi volunteers to go up on his own

to assess its potential for Tom.

[Distant explosions]

[Distant explosions]

Small Strombolian eruptions are occurring

out of several vents.

[Explosion]

[Explosion]

During the day, these eruptions look benign in nature.

But as the sun sets, they come alive.

[Explosions]

[Explosions]

[Explosions]

[Explosions]

ANDI: Yes...

[Rumbling]

[Rumbling]

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[Explosion]

ANDI: So down there there is eruptions

and explosion bursts.

And I'm now on the rim of the crater,

and there is inflation of the lava dome there

with continual Strombolian eruptions.

You gotta see this.

It's very, uh, difficult to be here.

But it's worth it. It's amazing.

Spectacular eruptions all the time.

Rumbling, and then very loudly.

You can see that.

[Explosion]

ANDI: So again!

NARRATOR: On a volcano like this you quickly begin

to notice patterns, allowing so it's possible

to anticipate the next eruption.

ANDI: It's going to peak, I think.

Yes.

[Loud explosion]

NARRATOR: The eruptions are spectacular and constant.

But there's no way of getting close enough to the crater.

Andi has another volcano in mind for Tom

to get his shots of a Strombolian eruption.

It too is difficult to access,

but it's known to produce some powerful explosions.

Batu Tara is a small volcano on the island of Komba,

three hours out to sea off the Island of Flores.

Its name means 'burning stone.'

It's an hour-long flight away,

passing over some of Indonesia's most famous volcanoes.

Below is Tambora, responsible for the largest eruption

in historic times,

much bigger than the volcano that wiped out Pompeii.

The volcano erupted in 1815,

killing more than 70,000 people,

and led to a volcanic winter.

Decreased global temperatures led to widespread crop failure

in the northern hemisphere.

It caused the worst famine in the 19th century.

Tom is with his small group

of experienced volcano photographers.

They've arrived in Larantuka, a fishing village

on the eastern edge of Flores Island,

their starting point for Batu Tara.

[Indistinct conversation]

NARRATOR: There are no planes or scheduled boats

to this uninhabited island.

The plan is to camp for several days

on a small bit of rock beach directly adjacent

to the active crater.

That is, if it's not too dangerous.

They've negotiated a lift from local fishermen.

ANDI: So this is our boat, yeah?

So you can photograph or, you know, documentation

for ten minutes around the activity of the...

It is fishing helper. [Inaudible]

TOM: Yeah, that's our boat.

It's quite spacious.

This is one of the typical traditional boats

that go out for several days in a row

and go especially for tuna fishing

out in the seas of the Flores Sea.

They bring us to Batu Tara.

They'll be around the island;

hopefully won't disappear when they see tuna swarms,

but come regularly, pass by,

hopefully maybe give us some fresh fish.

NARRATOR: To Andi's knowledge only two groups

have stayed on Batu Tara,

and both groups faced difficult seas,

and their camps were pounded by waves.

Today the seas are calm except for the strong currents

that flow between the islands as water passes

from Flores Sea into the Indian Ocean.

TOM: Look at the wild water here.

The water is absolutely calm, there is no wind,

but the currents create such turbulence

that it's definitely not a place you want to go swimming.

NARRATOR: The trip to Batu Tara is lined with volcanoes.

And they are evidence of how Indonesia was formed,

and why its volcanoes are so active.

The Earth's crust is divided up into massive plates,

that move at the rate that fingernails grow.

When two plates collide, the denser slab sinks down

into the mantle below.

This takes place in a subduction zone.

Oceanic plates are generally older, colder and denser,

and covered with layers of sediment

that accumulated on the sea floor.

Water sucked down in the subduction zone

boils back to the surface and helps to melt

the overlying rock.

The resulting magma then rises to the surface

in volcanic eruptions.

Underneath Indonesia, the Indo-Australian plate

is subducting under the Eurasian plate

at a very steep angle.

The result is a country-wide chain of volcanos.

The process takes millions of years,

and Indonesia's many active volcanoes

are proof it is happening right now.

Back on the boat, Tom, Andi, and their group

have had calm seas and a relaxed trip.

The group of five photographers have travelled

with Tom on several of his expeditions before.

The rest of the passengers are boat crew

and three hired hands to run the camp.

Their plan is to set up a camp on the island

and spend four or five days observing the volcano.

And Tom is hoping to get the perfect shot for his book.

But nothing is certain.

They won't know whether they'll be able to land

until they get there.

ANDI: So now we are preparing the boat to get to land.

So this is the only way for us to land at Batu Tara.

NARRATOR: Batu Tara is an extremely active volcano

that produces Strombolian type eruptions.

These can throw boulders called bombs

more than 20 football fields.

Their camp is going to be less then half that distance

from the crater.

TOM: The initial blast was, in this case,

was a stronger one.

You could see pieces of lava being ejected,

landing on the upper part of the slope,

probably on the walls and tumbling down.

It's beautiful.

Now you understand why it's called

"the slide of fire."

Well, you'll understand it even better at night

when these bombs we see now flying are glowing,

which is a fantastic sight.

[Distant explosion]

NARRATOR: Today the eruptions aren't throwing bombs

in the direction of the campsite.

So for now it's safe to unload their equipment

and set up camp.

TOM: We've arrived at our landing beach.

We'll build up camp right here.

It's just enough space for a kitchen,

a tarp and mattresses for everybody.

The big advantage of course is we have a full view

of the erupting crater.

And you see it's very, very busy.

Since we've arrived half an hour ago

it has at least done five or six explosions.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this at night,

especially it should be fantastic firework.

NARRATOR: The crew on the boat won't stay.

They will head out to fish overnight

and return each morning to check on the camp

and make sure that all is okay.

For these fishermen the expedition here

is a good opportunity to supplement their pay.

It will be another month or so

until the tuna season starts.

First order of business is to get the camp sorted.

Meals need to be cooked and cameras set up.

They've brought enough supplies for a week.

The weather this time of year in Indonesia is hot,

so they've opted for traditional ways

to keep food fresh.

The chickens don't seem to mind the explosions.

As the eruptions continue they change in intensity,

to gauge their safety, Tom scours the beach

looking for evidence of bombs.

These are rocks that are thrown out

during volcanic eruptions.

They range in size, from pebbles

to boulders the size of a mini bus.

TOM: Look where we are now.

On the beach 50 meters behind our campsite,

but look what we found here.

A shattered but very fresh bomb that was ejected here,

and I wouldn't have wanted to be here when this landed.

There's no way you could survive an impact like this.

Or maybe if you were lucky and it just rips an arm off,

but probably it would just smash you in two.

When this impacts typically you have pieces flying off

in all directions, so also you could easily be killed

or seriously hurt by any fragment that splintered.

It just breaks off at impact.

[Explosion]

NARRATOR: A more powerful eruption sends bombs high up

into the air.

They are high enough to clear the old crater rim,

landing about half the distance between the group

and the crater, a comfortable margin.

[Crackling sounds]

[Crackling sounds]

[Crackling sounds]

TOM: Bombs, or in this case, volcanic bombs,

are larger pieces of lava that are being ejected

by explosive activity.

Per definition, anything whose diameter is larger

than 64 millimeters, that means about like this,

would be classified as bombs,

whereas anything below that but larger than

two millimeters across is called lapillis.

Visually the most interesting,

the most beautiful to see are the bombs.

They form glowing balls that travel through the air

follow parabolas, and reach various distances,

impact on the cliffs on the slope.

With large explosions they can even reach the seashore.

With exceptionally large explosions

they might even reach this area,

so we are not out of the reach of potential bombs.

But it seems that the very big explosions

that propel bombs up to our position are extremely rare.

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NARRATOR: But even before the sun sets,

the incandescence of the molten rocks appear.

It's an exciting precursor for what is about to come.

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[Explosion]

[Rumbling]

[Rumbling]

NARRATOR: The first eruption is a big one.

It showers the entire upper region of the volcano

in incandescent glowing material.

[Explosion]

[Rumbling and hissing]

[Rumbling and hissing]

[Rumbling and hissing]

[Rumbling and hissing]

[Rumbling and hissing]

[Crashing]

NARRATOR: Lightning flashes as the ash column

generates a massive charge of static electricity.

TOM: We've just seen two very, very large explosions.

The last one was probably the biggest one

I've seen so far on this volcano.

An ensemble of blocks of all sizes are ejected,

which typically lands on the upper parts

near the crater on the slope,

and then start tumbling down.

And one by one they add up, building this scree slope

called a sciara.

Sciara comes from the island of Stromboli,

which is similar in activity.

It has a similar depression which is called

the "Sciara del fuoco," the "Slide of Fire,"

translated from Italian.

[Explosion]

[Crackling]

[Crackling]

[Crackling]

[Crackling]

[Crackling]

[Crackling]

[Explosion]

NARRATOR: After several powerful eruptions,

things quiet down for the rest of the night.

Even Tom is caught off guard by the size of the eruption.

The bombs literally appear to be flung

as high as the Empire State Building.

TOM: A second after the explosion, a huge detonation reached us.

The eruption triggered a small earthquake

and some rocks fell here from the cliff.

It was very, very impressive, if not even a bit scary.

If explosions become much bigger than that,

we should be thinking about evacuating the place.

NARRATOR: Fortunately the volcano remains quiet

for the rest of the night.

Which is a good thing.

it's hard to sleep on a tiny island

that explodes every 15 minutes.

Out at sea, it's a good day for the fishermen.

They've come across a school of tuna.

[Indistinct voices]

[Indistinct voices]

NARRATOR: The boat returns, unaware of the eventful night.

Before too long, nature's alarm clock goes off,

Batu Tara style.

[Explosion]

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[Rumbling]

NARRATOR: The group sets up sunshades.

It's going to be a hot day.

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[Explosions]

NARRATOR: But then Batu Tara erupts big.

[Explosions]

As rocks begin to roll down the slope

and crash into the water, the captain decides

it's time to pull anchor and get out of there.

The real danger with these volcanoes

is that a slight increase by 10% could mean

the difference between rocks hitting the slope

and those hitting the beach or landing in the water.

The boat retreats further down the beach to set up

and catch fish for the day's meals.

The daytime eruptions appears less frightening,

so the routine continues.

[Explosion]

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[Explosion]

NARRATOR: The frequency of eruptions provides the chance

to see in detail what's going on

during the Strombolian eruptions.

Deep inside the volcano, magma is rising

through a conduit at a slow rate.

Gases that are dissolved in the magma begin to escape

and form bubbles as they near the surface.

Unlike Ijen, where they constantly vent

reducing pressure, here the gasses are trapped.

TOM: Above the magma cone there is a thin crust

which maintains.

So under this plug, gas bubbles continue to form,

to expand, and to become more and more pressurized

until the pressure of the gases in the upper part

of the conduit, in the magma column,

is large enough to eject the plug.

NARRATOR: A split-second later...

[Explosion]

NARRATOR: ...the lava plug gives.

A small jet of ash shoots out,

followed by a sudden release of pressure.

Gas which was in a liquid state because of the pressure

suddenly expands to 1,200 times its volume,

just like a shaken champagne bottle that pops its cork.

This instantly fragments the remaining cap.

The rock is pulverized into tephra,

which is small pieces of rock, mixed with fine grain ash.

[Explosion]

After the initial eruption, the conduit becomes open.

More jets of ash and lava are blasted out.

[Explosions]

[Explosions]

[Explosions]

[Explosions]

[Explosions]

NARRATOR: Contrary to popular belief,

volcanoes do not emit columns of smoke.

This material is made up entirely of rock and gas

mixed with some steam from vaporized ground water.

[Explosion]

NARRATOR: The material falls back into the crater,

plugging it again, and the process starts over.

Because Strombolian eruptions don't damage the magma conduit

inside the volcano, these eruptions can continue

for decades, sometimes even for thousands of years.

[Explosion]

[Explosion]

TOM: This plug is not very, very strong,

so it doesn't take a lot of time

for new gas bubbles to form

and become strong enough to destroy the new plug.

NARRATOR: After a day of nearly constant eruptions,

the group does not know what to expect for the night.

Tom's experience with Strombolian eruptions

tells him it can go either way.

Volcanoes often enter into quiet periods

after an intensive phase

while they recharge their magma supply.

The problem here is Tom doesn't know how long

this volcano's cycles last.

It should make for an interesting evening.

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[Explosion]

[Rumbling]

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♪♪♪

NARRATOR: Tonight the eruptions are building in intensity.

It will be a long night.

Then, at 2:30 in the morning, there is a monster eruption.

[Loud explosion]

[Rumbling]

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♪♪♪

NARRATOR: The entire cone is showered in glowing bombs

and the eruption even propelled them down

the other side of the cone.

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♪♪♪

NARRATOR: The scale of eruption is concerning.

There is no way off the island

till the boat returns in the morning.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[Explosion]

NARRATOR: For the next two hours, the volcano enters

a period of calm.

Only a few small eruptions occur,

followed by a continuous glow in the crater.

The lull gives members of the group a chance to sleep.

NARRATOR: At about 3 am, they are awoken again

by an even more powerful eruption.

[Explosion]

[Rumbling]

[Rumbling]

[Rumbling]

NARRATOR: This large eruption sent bombs flying into the water.

Although not near the beach, it is enough of a warning.

NARRATOR: But with no way off the island until the boat returns

in the morning, all they can do is watch

and hope the eruptions calm down.

[Rumbling and hissing]

[Rumbling and hissing]

[Rumbling and hissing]

TOM: We just had a quite large explosion

which ejected a lot of material

and along with this material some of the crater itself

apparently broke loose, like now,

and started to slide down,

forming a glowing avalanche,

a minor pyroclastic flow, maybe even.

And even travelled over the sea

for some tens of meters, I guess.

Produced a massive ash and steam plume

that drifted along with the wind this way.

And now the crater morphology has changed.

You see, some of its outer parts have collapsed

and we see the glowing interior of the solid mass of lava.

What we see now are rock falls,

caused by permutation.

There could be a change in eruption style

that we're actually witnessing.

Maybe it's less gas...

or magma that is pouring gas coming up,

which contributes mainly to the growth

of the lava dome

that in turn starts breaking off,

causing these glowing avalanches.

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♪♪♪

NARRATOR: This was a close call.

It's too dangerous to be this close

to an unknown volcano during such a violent cycle.

The group cannot risk another night on the island.

They start to tear down the camp and get ready

for the boat to return.

TOM: Had an incredible time here.

We've seen the most spectacular fireworks

you can imagine, the bombs smashing on the rocks,

and the glowing lava illuminating the whole slope

and the reflection on the water.

It's incredible.

NARRATOR: As they're packing up, the eruptions return to normal.

For Tom this was an above-average risk,

but one that paid off.

He was able to photograph the spectacular

Strombolian eruptions at close range.

Witnessing a massive surge in eruptions

is something that cannot be predicted.

Batu Tara's explosions this night were so strong

that they blew a section of the cone off,

changing the actual structure of the volcano.

NARRATOR: It's likely this was a natural part of its cycle

that prevents the volcano from becoming too large.

It's a small window into the process

that builds volcanic islands like Batu Tara.

[Explosions]

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