Alien landscape

These eerie images of neon yellow landscape might look like they’re from another planet — but you won’t be spotting any aliens here. (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

Despite being called a volcano, Dallol is a hydrothermal field located in the northern Danakil Depression. The otherworldly landscape can be lethal for explorers, as temperatures often climb above 50°C. (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

A local stands in the yellow landscape. (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

The 32-year-old from a tiny village near Abano Terme in the province of Padua even used a drone to capture some unique aerial shots of the ‘alien’ landscape. (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

Pandolfo said: “A huge amount of water from a very deep source is warmed up by the magmatic chamber of this volcano and on the way up to the surface it becomes rich in minerals and salt.” (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

“As result we have those mineralized salt pools, with hot and acid water inside. Every color is a different kind of mineral.” (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

“I’ve visited this area several times in the last few years. The first time I saw it everything was dry, no water at all and of course no colors.”(Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

“In the last three years the amount of water has increased and right now the all area is flooded and rich with new mineralized pools.” (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

“No one knows if this is due to something natural, a geological issue linked to the underground water movement, or due to the presence of a mining industry that collected water from an area not very far from this volcano and right now is no longer working.” (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

“I was very surprised when I saw all that water at the Dallol volcano this year.” (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

“The area now looks like it did 30 years ago when the first pictures ever seen were published by Enrico Bonatti.” (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

“As geologist, that area is unique in the world and is very exciting.” (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

The extraordinary snaps were taken in Ethiopia and show vibrant yellow and green craters stretching for miles around. (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)

Intrepid photographer, Francesco Pandolfo, from Italy, navigated the area and managed to avoid stepping into pockets of boiling water to capture these incredible images. (Photo: Francesco Pandolfo/Caters News)