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Mount Dallol (Dallol volcano), Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopiai
Regional Level Types
Mount Dallol (Dallol volcano)Mountain
Kilbet RasuZone
Afar RegionRegion
EthiopiaCountry

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PhotosMapsSearchMineralogy
05331070017360822376829.jpg
Landscape with hot springs at Dallol volcano

Mount Dallol, Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopia
07911640017272269433401.jpg
View of the Dallol potash mining area, ca. 1930.

Mount Dallol, Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopia
01917600017272269443625.jpg
View of the Mount Dallol potash mining area, ca. 1930.

Mount Dallol, Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopia
05331070017360822376829.jpg
Landscape with hot springs at Dallol volcano

Mount Dallol, Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopia
09834160017272282225764.jpg
View of the Dallol potash mining area, ca. 1930.

Mount Dallol, Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopia
04231770017272282233016.jpg
View of the Mount Dallol potash mining area, ca. 1930.

Mount Dallol, Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopia
05331070017360822376829.jpg
Landscape with hot springs at Dallol volcano

Mount Dallol, Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopia
07911640017272269433401.jpg
View of the Dallol potash mining area, ca. 1930.

Mount Dallol, Kilbet Rasu, Afar Region, Ethiopia
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
14° 14' 22'' North , 40° 17' 59'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
14.23972,40.30000
GRN:
N10E28
Type:
Mountain
Köppen climate type:
BWh : Hot deserts climate
Mindat Locality ID:
156148
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:156148:0
GUID (UUID V4):
0


The lowest volcanoes on land in the one of the lowest elevations on earth (about 328 feet [116 meters] below sea level). It lies in a salt pan with hot, very acidic and extremely saline brine springs and sulfur formations.
Apparently devoid of any life (not even extremophiles).

The interaction of the magma with the buried salt deposit resulted in a halo-volcanic activity with, likely, several melted-salt effusion events with superimposed hydrothermal fluids.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


14 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Anhydrite
Formula: CaSO4
ⓘ Brushite
Formula: Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Carnallite
Formula: KMgCl3 · 6H2O
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Corrensite
Formula: (Mg,Fe)9((Si,Al)8O20)(OH)10 · nH2O
ⓘ Dawsonite
Formula: NaAlCO3(OH)2
ⓘ Gypsum
Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O
ⓘ Halite
Formula: NaCl
ⓘ Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
ⓘ Hotsonite
Formula: Al11(SO4)3(PO4)2(OH)21 · 16H2O
ⓘ 'Kerolite'
Formula: (Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
ⓘ Muscovite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Native Sulphur
Formula: S8
ⓘ Stevensite
Formula: (Ca,Na)xMg3-x(Si4O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Sylvite
Formula: KCl
ⓘ 'Wad'

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘNative Sulphur1.CC.05S8
Group 3 - Halides
ⓘHalite3.AA.20NaCl
ⓘSylvite3.AA.20KCl
ⓘCarnallite3.BA.10KMgCl3 · 6H2O
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘHematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘDawsonite5.BB.10NaAlCO3(OH)2
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘAnhydrite7.AD.30CaSO4
ⓘGypsum7.CD.40CaSO4 · 2H2O
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘBrushite8.CJ.50Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O
ⓘHotsonite8.DF.05Al11(SO4)3(PO4)2(OH)21 · 16H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘMuscovite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘStevensite9.EC.45(Ca,Na)xMg3-x(Si4O10)(OH)2
ⓘCorrensite9.EC.60(Mg,Fe)9((Si,Al)8O20)(OH)10 · nH2O
Unclassified
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-
ⓘ'Wad'-
ⓘ'Kerolite'-(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ BrushiteCa(PO3OH) · 2H2O
Hⓘ CarnalliteKMgCl3 · 6H2O
Hⓘ Corrensite(Mg,Fe)9((Si,Al)8O20)(OH)10 · nH2O
Hⓘ DawsoniteNaAlCO3(OH)2
Hⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Hⓘ HotsoniteAl11(SO4)3(PO4)2(OH)21 · 16H2O
Hⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ Stevensite(Ca,Na)xMg3-x(Si4O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ DawsoniteNaAlCO3(OH)2
OOxygen
Oⓘ AnhydriteCaSO4
Oⓘ BrushiteCa(PO3OH) · 2H2O
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ CarnalliteKMgCl3 · 6H2O
Oⓘ Corrensite(Mg,Fe)9((Si,Al)8O20)(OH)10 · nH2O
Oⓘ DawsoniteNaAlCO3(OH)2
Oⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Oⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Oⓘ HotsoniteAl11(SO4)3(PO4)2(OH)21 · 16H2O
Oⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ Stevensite(Ca,Na)xMg3-x(Si4O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
NaSodium
Naⓘ DawsoniteNaAlCO3(OH)2
Naⓘ HaliteNaCl
Naⓘ Stevensite(Ca,Na)xMg3-x(Si4O10)(OH)2
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ CarnalliteKMgCl3 · 6H2O
Mgⓘ Corrensite(Mg,Fe)9((Si,Al)8O20)(OH)10 · nH2O
Mgⓘ Stevensite(Ca,Na)xMg3-x(Si4O10)(OH)2
Mgⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
AlAluminium
Alⓘ Corrensite(Mg,Fe)9((Si,Al)8O20)(OH)10 · nH2O
Alⓘ DawsoniteNaAlCO3(OH)2
Alⓘ HotsoniteAl11(SO4)3(PO4)2(OH)21 · 16H2O
Alⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
SiSilicon
Siⓘ Corrensite(Mg,Fe)9((Si,Al)8O20)(OH)10 · nH2O
Siⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ Stevensite(Ca,Na)xMg3-x(Si4O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ BrushiteCa(PO3OH) · 2H2O
Pⓘ HotsoniteAl11(SO4)3(PO4)2(OH)21 · 16H2O
SSulfur
Sⓘ AnhydriteCaSO4
Sⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Sⓘ HotsoniteAl11(SO4)3(PO4)2(OH)21 · 16H2O
Sⓘ Native SulphurS8
ClChlorine
Clⓘ CarnalliteKMgCl3 · 6H2O
Clⓘ HaliteNaCl
Clⓘ SylviteKCl
KPotassium
Kⓘ CarnalliteKMgCl3 · 6H2O
Kⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Kⓘ SylviteKCl
CaCalcium
Caⓘ AnhydriteCaSO4
Caⓘ BrushiteCa(PO3OH) · 2H2O
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Caⓘ Stevensite(Ca,Na)xMg3-x(Si4O10)(OH)2
FeIron
Feⓘ Corrensite(Mg,Fe)9((Si,Al)8O20)(OH)10 · nH2O
Feⓘ HematiteFe2O3
NiNickel
Niⓘ Kerolite(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2 · nH2O (n ~ 1)

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African PlateTectonic Plate

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References

Palache, Charles; Berman, Harry; Frondel, Clifford (1951) The System of Mineralogy (7th ed.) Vol. 2 - Halides, Nitrates, Borates, Carbonates, Sulfates, Phosphates, Arsenates, Tungstates, Molybdates, Etc. John Wiley and Sons.p.94
news.discovery.com (n.d.) http://news.discovery.com/earth/dallol-hot-springs.html
Carniel, Roberto, Jolis, Ester Muñoz, Jones, Josh (2010) A geophysical multi-parametric analysis of hydrothermal activity at Dallol, Ethiopia. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 58 (5) 812-819 doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2010.02.005
López-García, José M., Moreira, David, Benzerara, Karim, Grunewald, Olivier, López-García, Purificación (2020) Origin and Evolution of the Halo-Volcanic Complex of Dallol: Proto-Volcanism in Northern Afar (Ethiopia). Frontiers in Earth Science, 7. 351 doi:10.3389/feart.2019.00351
Otálora, Fermín, Palero, Fernando, Papaslioti, Evgenia-Maria, García-Ruiz, Juan Manuel (2022) Mineralochemical Mechanism for the Formation of Salt Volcanoes: The Case of Mount Dallol (Afar Triangle, Ethiopia) ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 6 (12) 2767-2778 doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00075
Moors, Hugo, De Craen, Mieke, Smolders, Carla, Provoost, Ann, Leys, Natalie (2023) The waterbodies of the halo-volcanic Dallol complex: earth analogs to guide us, where to look for life in the universe. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14. 1134760 doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1134760
Kotopoulou, Electra, Frisia, Silvia, Van Driessche, Alexander E.S. (2025) Natural Wonders Formed by Minerals. Elements, 21 (1). doi:10.2138/gselements.21.1.46
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