Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Photo Contest
  • Contest
  • Academy
  • Foundation
  • Events
  • Book Store
  • Search
2013 Multimedia Contest 2012 Multimedia Contest 2011 Multimedia contest 2012 Joop Swart Masterclass 2011 Joop Swart Masterclass
2013 Photo Contest 2012 Photo Contest 2011 Photo Contest The World Press Photo archive

Featured

The 2013 Photo Contest

Pacu Jawi Bull Race by Wei Seng Chen
Go to The 2013 Photo Contest
About the contest 2013 multimedia contest
2013 photo contest

Featured

View 'Lost and Found' and other winners from the 2013 multimedia contest
Go to
About the Academy Workshops Publishing
The Joop Swart Masterclass Video library Grants

Featured

Next#02

Featuring the work of the 2012 masterclass participants
Go to Next#02
About the Foundation Sponsors and partners
News Press

Featured

history of world press photo
Go to

Search

Back Previous Next winner Image 3 of 39
2011, Nature , 3rd prize singles , Olivier Grunewald
Photo information

Journey to the Center of the Earth

View full context
The lava lake of Mount Nyiragongo, in the Virunga National Park, bubbles at the bottom of the volcano’s immense crater.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

07 August 2010

Der Lavasee des Nyiragongo im Virunga Nationalpark, Demokratische Republik Kongo, brodelt tief im Innern des riesigen Vulkankraters. Ständig aktive Lavaseen in Vulkankratern sind selten. Auf der ganzen Welt sind nur fünf bekannt. Die Größe des Sees im Nyiragongo ändert sich regelmäßig. Er gehörte jedoch zeitweilig zu den größten Lavaseen der jüngeren Erdgeschichte.

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
The lava lake of Mount Nyiragongo, in the Virunga National Park, bubbles at the bottom of the volcano’s immense crater. Persistent lava lakes in volcanic craters are rare, with only five currently known in the world. The one on Mount Nyiragongo varies in size, but has at times been one of the most voluminous lava lakes in the planet’s recent history.

Photo credit:
for Le Figaro Magazine

Olivier Grunewald speaks about the project:
"I took this picture from the rim of the huge crater at the beginning of an expedition during which we planned to stay inside the crater for ten days. The goal for the team has been to go down at the bottom of the crater with ropes and to try to go as close as possible of this huge lava lake. Three members of the team approached the ocean of lava within one meter. I was one of the three and took the first pictures so close to the lake."

El lago de lava del monte Nyiragongo, en el Parque Nacional Virunga (República Democrática del Congo), bulle en el fondo del enorme cráter del volcán. Los lagos de lava permanentes en cráteres volcánicos son poco comunes. Actualmente sólo se conocen cinco en todo el mundo. El del monte Nyiragongo varía de tamaño, pero ha llegado a ser el lago de lava más grande de la historia reciente del planeta.

Le lac de lave du Nyiragongo, dans le parc national des Virunga, République Démocratique du Congo, bouillonne au fond de l’immense cratère du volcan. Les lacs volcaniques persistants sont rares. On n’en compte actuellement que cinq dans le monde. La taille du lac du Nyiragongo variant, il a parfois été l’un des plus volumineux de l’histoire récente de la planète.

Un lago di lava ribolle sul fondo dell’immenso cratere sul monte Nyiragongo nel Parco Nazionale Virunga, nella Repubblica Democratica del Congo. È raro che nei crateri vulcanici si formino laghi di lava permanenti: se ne conoscono solo cinque al mondo. Le dimensioni di quello sul monte Nyiragongo variano, ma a volte è stato uno dei più imponenti laghi di lava nella storia recente del pianeta.

Op de immense kraterbodem van de Nyiragongo in het Virunga Nationaal Park in de Democratische Republiek Congo borrelt een lavameer. Een blijvend lavameer in een vulkaankrater is zeldzaam. Wereldwijd zijn slechts vijf lavameren bekend. Die van de Nyiragongo varieert in omvang, maar was bij tijden een van de grootste lavameren in de recente geschiedenis van de aarde.

Location

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo

Technical information

Shutter speed: 1.0 s
ISO: 200
F-Stop: f/5.6
Focal Length: 28 mm
Camera: Nikon D3S

Lens: Nikon 28 mm lens

Tripod: Gitzo tripod

Related links

World Press Photo is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Media links

  • The story of the expedition into the Mount Nyiragongo crater on The Big Picture
  • Mount Nyiragongo expedition in Le Figaro (In French)
  • Nyiragongo on Smithsonian Institute Volcanism Project site

Olivier Grunewald

Olivier Grunewald
Nationality:
France
About:
Olivier Grunewald was born in Paris in 1959. He started photographing birds at the age of 14. After studying commercial advertising photography at the Gobelins school of images, in Paris, he began to work as freelance photographer specialized in sports, mountaineering and rock climbing. Later, he began to focus more on landscape and wildlife, spending five months in French Guyana working on leatherback turtles - work that was awarded a World Press Photo prize in the nature category in 1995.
Read more about this photographer

Related links

World Press Photo is not responsible for the content of external websites.

In the media

  • Interview with Olivier Grunewald on Wild Wonders of Europe

The jury chairs discuss the winning photos

http://www.worldpressphoto.org/videolibrary/2011-photo-contest-jury

World Press Photo 11 iPad app

http://itunes.apple.com/app/2011-world-press-photo-contest/id426663516

2011 Yearbook

Featuring the 2011 winners
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/publications/2011_yearbook

Visit the 2011 World Press Photo exhibition

http://www.worldpressphoto.org/events

About the foundation

We exist to inspire understanding of the world through quality photojournalism.

Stay connected

Check our FacebookRead our TweetsRSS

Sign up for our newsletter

Sign up

  

Terms and conditions | Contact us | Press center