Welcome to Afar Depression the hottest places on earth
Danakil Depression or the Afar Triangle is a geological depression, includes Afar Triple Junction is a part of Ethiopian Great Rift Valley, where it overlaps Eritrea, the Afar Region of Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Afar is well known as one of the cradles of hominids, containing the Middle Awash, site of many fossil hominid discoveries such as Ardi.

The Afar Depression is well known as one of the cradles of hominids with the oldest bones discovered in the world, come from this area. Gona site of the world's oldest stone tools and the Hadar site of Lucy, fossilized human specimen. The Lucy is estimated to have lived here over 3 million years ago.

patern


patern

The Afar Depression includes the Danakil Desert and the lowest point in Africa lake Asal 155 metres - 509 feet below sea level. Only the Awash River flows into the depression, where it ends in a chain of lakes that increase in salinity.
Dallol is a part of the Afar Depression, one of the hottest places year round on Earth, with air temperature record of 64.4°C - 148°F. The climate varies from around 25°C - 77°F during the rainy season from September to March to 48°C - 118°F, and during the dry season from March to September.


The Afar Depression is a formidable landscape which includes the Danakil Desert and the lowest point in Africa, Lake Asal, less than 155 m - 510 ft below sea level. Dallol, Ethiopia is also part of the Depression, one of the hottest places year round anywhere on Earth.

The only river that flows into the Depression is the Awash River, which ends in a chain of salt lakes, where its water evaporates as quickly as it is supplied. About 1,200 km² / 460 sq mi of the Afar Depression is covered by salt, and salt mining remains a major source of income for many Afar tribes, who cut the salt into bars and carry it by mule to other parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea.


Lucy lived 3.2 million years ago     Salt Danakil Depression     Salt Caravan     Sulphur Danakil

The Afar Triangle lay across Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. Three tectonic plates meet there with the African and Arabian plates drifting apart along two separate fault lines by one centimeter a year. The Afar Depression also called the Afar Triangle, the Danakil Depression, or the Denakil Plain is a geological depression in the Horn of Africa, where it overlaps Eritrea and the Afar Region of Ethiopia, slightly touches Djibouti and Somalia.

The Danakil is covered by salt, but it is not salt that has attracted the attention of the international potash mining community. Potash was discovered there many years ago and production began in 1918 after a railway was completed from the port of Mersa Fatma in Eritrea to an area 28 km outside of Dallol.
Ethiopian art