2007-10-18, Molten Lava Lake - 熔岩湖

（单词翻译）

Called the hellhole of creation, the Afar Triangle lies at the junction¹ of three continental² plates which spread further each year. The oldest living lava³ lake and one of the lowest points on the planet. Geologists⁴ here can study the process that formed the world millions of years ago.

Molten lava spews out from deep in the earth to form Erta Ale's Lava Lake. As the lava cools, it creates a black crust. Hot magma burst through in continual eruptions⁵.

Now the real work begins, Franck tries to collect lava. Getting (a) lava out of a boiling pit is no easy task. Franck tosses a cable into the pit hoping the lava will cake to it. He tries again and again, even in the darkness he can't get close enough, at every attempt the heat drives him back. Unless he gets protection from the heat, there is no way he can collect the samples.

So he calls Caston to bring him a thermal⁶ suit. I need a thermal suit to continue and to try to take some samples of that up, over. Very,very heavy. It is Franck's only hope to get close enough to the red-hot magma.

For security, he ties himself into a safety harness. Over and over, Franck throws a cable into the pit. But each time the lava quickly melts the cable. It is as if Erta Ale herself is swallowing the cable. He desperately⁷ wants to fulfil the promise he made to gather a hint. But Erta Ale does not give up her bounty⁸ easily. In the end, Franck is forced to collect samples lying at the edge of the lava pit.

It's 2 am before they return, exhausted⁹ to the surface. I think this is freshest of all, (it doesn't look like lava). some fragments but not directly in the lake. It's fresh enough. Yeah, yeah… Look.