ADDIS ABABA — In a geological event that has stunned scientists and disrupted aviation across the Indian Ocean, a volcano in Ethiopia’s remote Afar region has erupted for the first time in recorded history, ending a silence that lasted roughly 12,000 years.
While initial reports and social media chatter pointed to the famous Erta Ale—known for its persistent lava lake—geologists have confirmed the eruption actually stems from Hayli Gubbi, a shield volcano located just southeast of Erta Ale in the same volcanic range. The event marks a significant shift in the geological activity of the East African Rift.
The eruption began on Sunday morning, sending a massive plume of ash and smoke roughly 45,000 feet (14 km) into the atmosphere. The explosion was powerful enough to be detected by satellite imagery and tracked by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in France.
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Visuals: Satellite images show a thick, dark brown plume drifting eastward over the Red Sea, impacting airspace as far away as Yemen, Oman, and parts of western India.
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Aviation Impact: Several flights were diverted or cancelled as the ash cloud—composed of jagged rock particles and glass that can destroy jet engines—crossed key international flight corridors.
The confusion in early reports stems from the volcano’s location. Hayli Gubbi sits within the Erta Ale Range, a chain of volcanoes in the Danakil Depression.
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Erta Ale (The “Smoking Mountain”): Famous for holding the world’s longest-existing lava lake. It has been continuously active since at least 1967 and is a popular (albeit dangerous) tourist destination.
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Hayli Gubbi: The “quiet neighbor” located about 10–15 miles southeast. Unlike Erta Ale, Hayli Gubbi has been dormant for the entirety of the Holocene epoch (the last ~11,700 years). Its sudden reawakening is scientifically far more significant than a standard flare-up at Erta Ale would have been.
The eruption occurred in the Danakil Depression, often cited as the hottest place on Earth and nicknamed the “Gateway to Hell” due to its inhospitable terrain, salt pans, and volcanic activity.
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Local Impact: While the region is sparsely populated, it is home to semi-nomadic Afar herders. Local administrators report that while no human lives have been lost, heavy ash fall has blanketed grazing lands and water sources.
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Eyewitness Accounts: Residents described the eruption as sounding like “a sudden bomb,” followed by a shockwave. Travelers and tourists visiting the nearby salt desert were reportedly stranded briefly as ash turned the sky dark.
This eruption serves as a dramatic reminder of the tectonic forces at play in East Africa. Ethiopia sits atop the East African Rift, where the African continent is slowly splitting in two. The Nubian and Somali tectonic plates are pulling apart, allowing magma to press up through the thinning crust.
“The reawakening of a volcano after 12,000 years is a rare opportunity to study how dormant systems reactivate in rift zones,” noted a statement from regional geologists. “It suggests the magmatic plumbing system in the Afar region is currently undergoing a period of high pressure.”
As of Tuesday, the ash plume is dissipating, but authorities remain on high alert.
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Health Warnings: Officials are warning local communities about the respiratory risks of volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide gas.
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Monitoring: Scientists are rushing to deploy seismometers to determine if this is a singular explosive event or the beginning of a prolonged eruptive phase for Hayli Gubbi.
