Lava flows partially buried in clay, north of the Awash River Delta
The Dallol sulphur spring precipitates in white and grey, then turns to yellow, then orange as it gets more oxidized
The salt at Lake Assal is exploited by local Afaris who transport it by camel for human consumption
Entryway to a home in Aseyla village near Lake Abhe
Pinnacles of mineral deposits on the edge of Lake Abhe
Mudflats with scattered volcanic rocks are mingled with pinnacles of mineral deposits on the edge of Lake Abhe
The briny water of Lake Afrera is pumped up onto the gently sloping plain to the north
The salt at Lake Afrera is harvested by hand for human consumption
Harvesting salt at Lake Afrera, where it is said to be the hottest inhabited place on Earth
Local Afari boys waiting to sell clay figurines and animal horns to the sprinkling of visitors to Lake Abhe
Cemetery used by Afari nomads amidst lava flows partially buried in clay
Afari men bringing their herd of cattle home after a day of grazing in the flood plain of the Awash River
Waiting for a new water well to start pumping just outside the village of Dichoto
Barchan dunes and associated eroded marine sediments 20 miles southeast of Lake Afdera
The Afar Depression has been inundanted by changing sea levels, and the soft clay surface is covered in marine sediments and small sea shells
Afa geyser field near the Awash River
Normal faults have left massive slabs of bedrock tilting over as they fall into the ever-widening East African Rift
Cemetery near Catherine Ash Ring volcano, south from Ahmed Ela
Erta Ale volcano, which has one of the few permanent lava lakes in the world
This black spring is 150 m. below sea level in the middle of a salt flat in a surreal and hazardous landscape
Sulphur-rich minerals grow orange-colored crystals near Dallol hot springs
When the sulphurous waste drains away, the salty mineral formations slowly bleach to white from extreme heat and intense sunlight
Pinnacles of brightly colored mineral salts form a labyrinth of spiky rain-eroded terrain on the southwest side of Dallol hot spring
Thick layer of cracked mud from a massive rain and mud flow event rests against the lava flields near Catherine Ash Ring volcano
Tigrean and Afari men prying slabs of salt out of the dry section of Lake Assale which will be carried by camel to Tigre province
Caravans of camels and donkeys carrying salt from Lake Assale across the East African rift
Tigrean and Afari men having dinner at an open air restaurant in Ahmed Ela after a day of gathering blocks of salt
The level of Lake Assal appears to be dropping as there are old lake shore levels and associated sediments visible around the lake
A collection of naturally occurring ridges of salt that have emerged from beneath the sediments of Lake Assal, and their origin is not known
This animal skull was placed on the lake shore so that it would be come coated in salt and sold as a souvenir to visitors who come here from the capital
