Tanzanian volcano can destroy the traces of ancient hominins

The Tanzanian volcano began to show signs of life, and researchers suspect that its eruption may soon begin. Scientists are very worried about this prospect, as the volcano is two steps away from the scientifically significant Olduvai Gorge, where traces of ancient hominins were found. If the eruption really happens, we will lose an important part of human history.

Strange Volcano

When it comes to mountains erupting molten rock, Ol-Doinho-Lengay is distinguished by its really strange behavior. The lava erupted by this volcano has an unusually "cool" temperature - only 510 ° C. It may seem that this is not so little, but do not forget that the normal temperature of the lava during the eruption of the volcano is 1000 ° C. Lava Tanzanian volcano is also relatively safe, because once a man who fell into it, could survive. On this strangeness lava does not end, for example, it flows like water.

Volcanic deformation

However, monitoring the state of the volcano over the past few years has revealed something alarming. He began to show signs of anxiety, and the magma beneath the surface of the volcano physically lifts its parts upward. Researchers say that the eruption is inevitable, and it will probably happen within a few months, not years.

"In the western part of the volcano, ash emissions, earthquakes, rising small volcanic cones and expanding cracks are recorded," volcanologist Sarah Stemps commented in an interview for National Geographic. "All these signs indicate a volcanic deformation, which, most likely, will lead to an eruption."

Traces of hominins

The results of the eruption of this volcano will be of interest not only to volcanologists and geologists. It is expected that ash, lava and rock debris will descend to the surrounding landscape and, presumably, will destroy some of the earliest evidence of human history, to the horror of the anthropologists who have been studying these tracks for the past several decades.

It is believed that the eruption itself does not pose a threat to the ancient traces of hominins. But if it happens during the rainy season, a mixture of ash and water in combination with a strange liquid lava will flow into the Olduvai Gorge, completely covering the traces there.

Recall that only 14.4 kilometers from Ol-Doinho-Lengai researchers found more than 400 perfectly preserved traces of hominins over 19 thousand years old. This finding is known as the "dance hall" because of the amazing number of footprints. It seems that our ancestors wandered through a valley strewn with ashes from a volcano, soon after its eruption.

Even more worrying are the traces left by our more ancient ancestors about 3.6 million years ago in Laetoli, although they are located 114 kilometers from the volcano, so you can hope that he will most likely spare them.

In any case, if the eruption really starts, scientists can not do anything. The prints were completely scanned, but it is not possible to remove them and move them to a safer place. It seems that all that remains for us is to wait and see if these prints will destroy the natural event that was the cause of their appearance.