In a stunning geological event, the Hayli Gubbi volcano in northeastern Ethiopia erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years. Thick clouds of ash erupted high into the air, reaching up to nine miles, as reported by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC).
This eruption took place on a Sunday and lasted for several hours, occurring in Ethiopia’s Afar region, approximately 500 miles northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa, not far from the border with Eritrea.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano stands around 1,500 feet tall and is located within the Rift Valley, an area notorious for its geological activity where two tectonic plates collide.
The ash cloud from the eruption swept over several countries, including Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan, with VAAC even sharing a map showing the ash’s trajectory.
Due to the ash emissions, Air India canceled at least 11 flights, and Akasa Air also halted some flights to various Middle Eastern destinations, as reported by Reuters.
Simon Carn, a volcanologist from Michigan Technological University, noted on Bluesky that the ash cloud was traveling quickly eastward through the subtropical jet stream, moving over the Arabian Sea and headed towards northwest India and Pakistan.
Footage circulating on social media depicted a thick plume of white smoke rising from the eruption, though this has not been verified as accurate by AFP.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program confirmed that there had been no recorded eruptions of Hayli Gubbi in the Holocene epoch, which began around 12,000 years ago at the conclusion of the last Ice Age. Carn verified on Bluesky that the volcano has no documented eruptions during this timeframe.
Local authorities, including Mohammed Seid, have reported that there have been no injuries or fatalities, however, he warned of potential economic repercussions for the area’s livestock herders.
Seid expressed his concerns to The Associated Press, explaining that, even though there haven’t been any lives lost, ash fall has buried many villages, leading to severe food shortages for local livestock.
In the quake-prone Afar region, resident Ahmed Abdela described the eruption as explosive. He recalled, “It sounded like a bomb going off, with smoke and ash everywhere.”
