のぼりべつ: The Fury of Hell – じごくだに

A visual and geological treat in the Hell Valley

---

Needless to say that the actions of the magma from the Earth’s past is enough to pique the interest of geologists from all over the world. That includes me too, though I am no geologist.

My journey towards geology started even before my visit to Manikaran, a geologically active geyser in India. And it took me a long time to plan a visit to a volcano, accessible to travelers, yet, not in imminent danger of erupting. The Shikotsu-Toya National Park or Geopark fit the bill quite well. And needless to say, the geopark itself belongs to a family of volcanoes and active seismic zones which is now knows as the Pacific Ring of Fire – quite apt a name for the plethora of active volcanoes which dot the rim of the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand and all the way to Chile. Japan is also included in this ring of fire in its entirety.

I. Painted Hills

The colourful hills shown in the frames above are caused due to complex hydro-geothermal action involving the interaction of the surface soil with fumarolic gases laced with sulphur, hot water, magma and minerals. The heated water brings with itself minerals from the earth’s depths which impart such rich and vibrant colours to this land. But be warned, don’t step on such grounds, for there is a danger of suffocation and poisoning due to the copious amounts of sulphur dioxide emitted from these fumaroles. And sulphur dioxide itself is highly acidic forming sulphuric acid on contact with water, hence, crossing over to the danger zones should be strictly avoided.

II. Tessen Lake

The Tessen Lake or Pond is a small geothermal geyser or boiling pond in almost the centre of the Jogokudani characterised by beautiful turquoise waters.

The Pond has a temperature of 80 degree Celsius and is known to erupt intermittently. The pond has such a peculiar colour due to the presence of salts of aluminium and iron brought forth by complex hydro-geothermal action in this area.

The pond may be accessed using the boardwalk from the main entrance to the Jigokudani. A word of caution though, refrain from touching these waters or throwing objects like coins as those can prove to be unsafe during eruption of this pond.

III. Sanzu River

The Sanzu river is a boiling river comprising of sulphur and mineral laced streams all emerging from this Jigokudani due to complex hydro-geothermal action. The interaction of magma with the groundwater causes the hot water dissolve minerals on the way to the surface, which gives the stunning colours to the water.

IV. Panoramic Vistas from lookouts and boardwalks

Do make it a point to visit some of the high grounds, accessible via stairs, to have a view of some of the breathtaking vistas of the Jigokudani. Some panoramic pictures and videos are shared below.

V. Boiling Lakes – おゆぬま / Oyunuma and おくのゆ / Okunoyu

The boiling lakes – Oyunuma and Okunoyu give a vibe of an utterly dystopic environment of a world plagued by wars and contaminated waters. While we can’t say much about the supposedly dystopic world in general, we can definitely vouch for the beauty of these two lakes boiling under the influence of magma. The vibrant colours of the lake is again due to complex hydro-geothermal action featuring minerals and sulphur dissolved in water heated up by magma.

The temperature of these lakes can reach more than 100 degrees Celsius and these may even erupt, so staying far away from these lakes is advisable. The lakes also interact with the submerged fumaroles emitting acidic gases rich in sulphur oxides, hence exposure or touching the lake is also not recommended.

VI. Boiling Mud

The geothermal action present in this region is bound to give rise to some peculiar features like boiling mud pools. This one was found near Lake Okunoyu.

VII. Fumaroles

The active volcanic fields anywhere around the globe will definitely have fumaroles as one sacrosanct feature. And Noboribetsu Jigokudani is no exception to this.

Fumaroles are vents on the ground emitting volcanic gases like sulphur oxides, carbon dioxide and steam. Fumaroles may be on the ground and under water. The sulphur rich gases emitted from these fumaroles give a strong “egg-like odour” to the place. Immense caution should be taken while visiting such places as fumarolic gases are usually acidic and poisonous, and being within the safe zones is highly advisable.

I happened to locate a low-intensity fumarole just on the side of the road and placed my hand in that vent to just feel the warm gases emanating from the Earth. However, over-exposure should be avoided and in fact, this entire activity should be avoided due to safety reasons.

VIII. Erupting Geyser

This continuously erupting geyser is not within the Jigokudani but very close to it, in a park in the city. The geyser has now been confined within heavy concrete walls to prevent the shooting of the scalding hot waters to the people nearby.

Witness the immense power of Mother Nature in action via this constantly erupting geyser.

IX. Shrines

There are a few shrines in the city, one of them is located within the Jigokudani and two ou tside that area. These are small shrines dedicated to various deities and people can offer prayers to the deities for good luck, health and happiness.

X. Summary

Phew, that was a long-enough trip of the Jigokudani and experiencing the features of this Hell Valley, featuring heat, processes and materials from the very formative years of the Planet.Do check this video out (made by me) covering all the features to be explored in this Jigokudani.

.. [continued in page 3] ..