the world's most metal job

[asakiyume]

. . . has surely got to be working in the sulfur mines in the crater of Kawah Ijen, a volcano in East Java, Indonesia. Stop and think a moment. Sulfur mining. In a volcano.

It's a world of fire, acid, and poisonous gases.

(There is an acid lake in the crater.)

Molten sulfur is blood red, but it burns with a blue flame. The photographer Olivier Grunewald took these photos, which ran in the Boston Globe on 8 December 2010. (Source for the entire photo essay here.) (Hat tip to yamamanama for showing me these!)

sulfur flames

image © Olivier Grunewald


image © Olivier Grunewald

molten sulfur

image © Olivier Grunewald


The Boston Globe had another photo essay on the mine on 1 June 2009, focused more on the hard-labor aspects. Workers pry the raw mineral sulfur out by hand and carry it down the mountain in heavy-laden baskets, on their backs ...


photo by Ulet Ifansati


photo by Ulet Ifansati

In conclusion. If you want to do a Cracked list about working in actual hellish circumstances, don't leave out the sulfur mine of Kawah Ijen.

Comments

[rustica.livejournal.com]

Sulphur mining took place on a volcanic island off NZ until 1914, when the volcano went pop and everyone (except the camp cat) died https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whakaari_/_White_Island . I want to visit sometime, but they had to stop the tourist tours last year when the island became a bit frisky and I don't know if it's reopened yet. I'm told it's an absolutely amazing sight.

Those are amazing, amazing photos!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I guess sulfur and volcanoes frequently go together. That's terrible about the miners at Whakaari! Having nine lives no doubt benefited that cat.

One day I hope to get to Indonesia, or if not there, some other volcano-rich area, and visit some volcanoes.