Danakil Depression and Dallol’s otherworldly salt basin
Published on 08/18/2026 at 14:10 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Danakil Depression in northern Ethiopia is a geological basin where salt crusts, lava fields and lurid hydrothermal pools sit side by side. North of the Erta Ale volcanic range, near the small outpost of Dallol, the land drops well below sea level into a landscape shaped by rifting tectonic plates and buried salt deposits from ancient seas.
Africa’s low-lying rift between tectonic plates
The Danakil Depression forms part of the Afar Triangle, where the Nubian, Somalian and Arabian plates meet and pull apart. The basin stretches for roughly a couple of hundred kilometres, forming a north–south trough framed by higher ground and volcanic uplands.The Danakil depression is a N-S basin Much of its floor lies below sea level, making it one of the lowest land areas on the African continent.down to 120 m below sea level
Geologically, the Danakil Depression is a segment of a young ocean rift where new crust is forming between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.a young ocean rift Over millions of years the area has repeatedly flooded with seawater from the Red Sea and dried out again, leaving thick layers of evaporites such as halite and gypsum that now underlie the modern salt flats.
Salt pans, lakes and the Dallol dome
The northern half of the Danakil Depression is dominated by a broad salt pan often referred to as the Dallol or Assale plain. This halite-floored basin extends across hundreds of square kilometres and contains some of the lowest points in the depression, including Lake Assale, also known as Lake Karum.a largely deserted, 4000 km2 salt plain Salt crusts form polygonal patterns underfoot, broken by shallow lakes where concentrated brines collect.
Near the centre of this salt plain rises the dome of Dallol, a low halite structure created when basaltic magma intruded into Miocene salt deposits and pushed them upwards.formed by the intrusion of basaltic magma into Miocene salt deposits The dome stands a few dozen metres above the surrounding flat, its flanks composed of layered salt and anhydrite. Over it lies a geothermal field of colourful terraces, chimneys and pools formed by iron-rich and hypersaline fluids rising through the fractured salt.
Hydrothermal colours and extreme chemistry
The hydrothermal system at Dallol is remarkable for its combination of very high temperatures, extreme salinity and strong acidity. Researchers describe brines that are supersaturated with sodium chloride, contain large amounts of dissolved iron and reach temperatures above 100 °C.a polyextreme hydrothermal system Pools take on vivid yellow, green and orange tones where different minerals precipitate at the surface.
The Danakil Depression also contains other volcanic features connected with the same rift system, including shield volcanoes and lava flows such as those of the Erta Ale range to the south.Ert’ale volcano with an active lava lake Together with salt lakes and the Dallol geothermal area, these sites illustrate how tectonics, magmatism and evaporite geology intersect in a single compact region.
Visiting Danakil Depression: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Danakil Depression lies in northern Ethiopia, in the Afar region, close to the border with Eritrea and the small settlement of Dallol.
- The terrain combines hard salt crusts, loose salts and uneven lava, with sections exposed to strong sun and limited natural shade.
- Access into the depression usually involves road travel from Ethiopian highland cities towards the Afar lowlands, followed by vehicles driving across the salt flats.
- The official language is Amharic and the currency is the Ethiopian birr. Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Danakil Depression
Where is the Danakil Depression?
Danakil Depression lies in the Afar region of northern Ethiopia, near the border with Eritrea and the locality of Dallol within the wider Afar Triangle.
What should visitors expect to see?
Visitors encounter wide salt flats, shallow salt lakes, dark lava fields and the colourful hydrothermal terraces and pools around the Dallol dome within a stark desert setting.
What makes the Danakil Depression distinctive?
The combination of below-sea-level elevations, thick evaporite deposits, active rift volcanism and the polyextreme Dallol hydrothermal system creates a rare concentration of geological extremes in one basin.
