Steaming Lake

by The Raw World Atlas

Steam billows from a barren volcanic slope and drifts low over the water. In the foreground, the lake takes on a milky turquoise hue, looking almost unreal against the grey muddy patches and the bleached rock behind it. To the left, dense green forest stretches right to the edge of the steaming ground, and a strip of fresh grass frames the bottom of the picture.

This is Ōyunuma, a hot lake near Noboribetsu in Hokkaido, Japan. It was formed in an explosion crater of Mount Hiyori and measures around one kilometre in circumference. The surface water is between 40 and 50 °C, whilst sulphur springs at the bottom emerge at around 130 °C. The light colour of the water and the white rock share the same cause: minerals that carry the heat upwards.

The image brings together three worlds within a single frame: vibrant green, raw rock and water that looks calm but is anything but. In landscape format, it is well suited as a large central feature in a living room or office, where the cool turquoise brings light into the room and the textured slope adds depth. The palette of turquoise, stone grey and fresh green complements modern, minimalist interiors, concrete and light-coloured wood. The soft gradients of the mist and the delicate texture of the rock are shown to their best advantage on matt fine art paper.