Fact Check: Did blue lava erupt from an Ethiopian volcano? Viral tweet debunked

A picture of an Ethiopian volcano allegedly emitting blue lava has been going viral ever since it was first shared by Twitter user, @VidsOfHeaven, on August 21, 2023. Since then, the post has been viewed by more than 188,000 people.

However, upon reverse searching the image on Google, many similar images came up, with statements about how the blue color is due to the combustion of sulphuric gas. Furthermore, Snopes reported that the image that was being shared was of a hydrothermal site and not a volcano.

For the uninitiated, hydrothermal sites look and function like volcanoes, but this is primarily due to heated underground water.

A Google search also revealed that the images being circulated were taken by a French photographer, Olivier Grunewald. Search results also proved that the images were not recent, and were taken way back in 2014.

Snopes reported that as per Peter Kelly, who works as a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Service Volcano Emissions Project, the "blue flames" are the result of a chemical reaction.

"The blue flames result from the burning of sulfur vapor associated with the native sulfur deposits formed from the reaction of H2S [hydrogen sulfide] and SO2-rich [sulfur dioxide] gases there," Kelly said.

Hence, the claims being made about blue lava erupting from the alleged volcano are not true.

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Netizens debunk the blue lava pictures, even as many deem the sight "fascinating" and "beautiful"

Social media has been full of images of the blue lava, as many were left shocked by the claims of it erupting from an Ethiopian volcano. However, many soon pointed out that the claims were fake, clarifying that it was just the combustion of sulphuric gas that made it look like blue lava.

However, there were also a few people who fell prey to the false claims and believed the news was true. As @VidsOfHeaven shared the images on social media, here is how netizens reacted:

Volcano images on Twitter not true: Social media users comment on the claims of the Ethiopian volcano. (Image via Twitter)

Volcano images on Twitter not true: Social media users comment on the claims of the Ethiopian volcano. (Image via Twitter)

Volcano images on Twitter not true: Social media users comment on the claims of the Ethiopian volcano. (Image via Twitter)

Volcano images on Twitter not true: Social media users comment on the claims of the Ethiopian volcano. (Image via Twitter)

Volcano images on Twitter not true: Social media users comment on the claims of the Ethiopian volcano. (Image via Twitter)

Volcano images on Twitter not true: Social media users comment on the claims of the Ethiopian volcano. (Image via Twitter)

Volcano images on Twitter not true: Social media users comment on the claims of the Ethiopian volcano. (Image via Twitter)

Volcano images on Twitter not true: Social media users comment on the claims of the Ethiopian volcano. (Image via Twitter)

The claims about the blue lava once again highlights the issue of how one should not blindly believe everything on social media, and images and posts should be shared only after a thorough investigation to make sure the news is true.

In such cases, it is best to flag the images or claims being made, so that others do not fall prey to such news.