A supremely unpaired volcano in Tanzania is grumble and grumbling , and researcher mistrust it may erupt “ imminently ” . But the fact that it ’s just a Oliver Stone ’s throw from the scientifically important Olduvai Gorge , where ancient hominin footprints have been uncover , mean that investigator are interested that a vital piece of human historymay be lost .
When it comes to mountains that spew molten rock , Ol Doinyo Lengai isa veridical oddment . The lava erupt at a bizarrely cool temperature of just 510 ° carbon ( 950 ° degree Fahrenheit ) , which is positively chilly equate to the normal temperature of lava , around 1,000 ° C ( 1,832 ° F ) . In fact , the lava is so coolheaded , a man once fall into a crater of it , and survive . The strangeness of the lava does n’t kibosh there , either , as it even flows like water supply .
But monitoring over the past few years has revealed something worrying . The volcano has start rumbling , with the magma beneath the surface physically rustle parts of the volcano upwards . The researchers are warn that this means an eruption is imminent , likely to occur within if not months , then a few years at the latest .
“ There are increase ash emissions , earthquakes , uplift at small volcanic cones , and an ever widening crevice at the top of the volcano on the west side , ” volcanologist Sarah Stamps toldNational Geographic . “ These are all sign of volcanic contortion that will in all likelihood conduct to an bam sooner rather than later . ”
And when it does gasconade , it wo n’t just be volcanologists and geologists concerned in the solvent . The ash , lava , and debris emitted are expected to rain down on the surrounding landscape , and are predict to demolish some of the earliest grounds of human history , to the disheartenment of the anthropologists who have been meditate the footprint over the last few decades .
The eructation itself is not thought to be a risk to the ancient hominin footprints . But the fear is that if the volcano happens to blow its top during the rainy season , the mixing of ash and rainwater , partner off with the weird liquid lava , means that it would flow over the footmark and strangle them entirely .
Within just 14.4 km ( 8.9 miles ) of Ol Doinyo Lengai , researchers lately discovered over 400 hominin footprint at Engare Sero , perfectly preserved over 19,000 year ago . sleep with as the “ dancing hall ” due to the surprising figure of print , it appears some of our ascendant wandered across a grassland that itself had of late been strewn with ash tree from the volcano when it conflagrate right smart back then .
Of even more business organisation is a set of step made by our even more ancient ancestors some 3.6 million eld ago at Laetoli , although at 114 kilometers ( 70 miles ) by , they aremore likely to be spared .
Either way , there is not much that can be done . The print have all been 3D - scan , and plagiarise them out is not really an option . It seems we ’ll just have to wait and watch , and see if the natural event that led to the creation of the prints in the first spot also takes them away .
