VOLCANIC PLATEAU

The movement of the plates caused the appearance of the Ardoukôba volcano, in November 1978 (after 800 earthquakes). It only lasted a few weeks, but its eruption changed the landscape. It was so named by Haroun Tazieff, the famous volcanologist. This name means "sloping" in Afar and inspired local poets like Chem Watta: "Ardoukôba. Boucan de mer. Volcano of earth". And it could also sound like "Abracadabra", so much the magic of this place operates.

After passing the Rift Camp, you can turn left and follow a trail (not marked, but all the guides know about it) that is a bit difficult and leads you to a volcanic plateau. Other trails and paths can be followed as well. Discuss with your guide what exactly you want to see, how much time you have, etc. Also think about water supplies for your trip. Don't forget a cap, sun cream and sunglasses, as the sun is very strong.

Here it is necessary to walk, absolutely, for a long time, to better feel the ground. In this vast field of black lava, matt or shiny, smooth or rough, you have the impression of walking in a huge dark chocolate brownie. The solidified lava is like a thick, worked paste. Swollen, wrinkled or cracked (overcooked?), flowing or brittle, it is like a prisoner of all its frozen movements. The darkest flows are the most recent, those of 1978, and cover older lava fields.

Your guide will show you small chasms and tunnels, in which you can slip through for long distances. In some places, hot fumes are escaping. A few flat shrubs, some fat plants grow here and there. Goats or dromedaries graze, light spots on a black background.

The rock is sometimes split over several meters. One foot on each side of these cracks of all sizes, one imagines oneself straddling the African continent and Arabia, in the middle of the ocean that will be born. At various points, you will see the antennas of the many sensors that record the slightest movement of the ground. A climb to the top of the volcano itself will give you a superb view of the 1978 flows, the Great Fault, the Manda basalt field, and finally Lake Assal with its salt floe. The latter will one day be connected to the Goubet again, following the collapse of the Ardoukôba lava field. This will mark an important stage in the separation of the Arabian and African plates.