Ethiopia: For the First Time in 12,000 Years, the Hayli Gubbi Volcano Erupts

The Hayli Gubbi volcano, which had been dormant for over 12,000 years since the Holocene, unexpectedly erupted on Sunday, November 23, catching scientists off guard. Located in the Afar region, specifically in the renowned Rift Valley, the eruption sent massive columns of smoke and ash soaring up to 14 kilometers into the atmosphere. This phenomenon was even visible from space, as evidenced by images of the plumes captured by NASA over the Red Sea.

Entire villages near the volcano have been covered in dust, complicating the daily lives of farmers and herders. Locals were taken aback by the reawakening of Hayli Gubbi, which they have always known to be asleep. One resident, Ahmed Abdela, told CNN he heard "a sudden explosion." While no casualties have been reported, local authorities are concerned about the pastoral communities, whose grazing lands may be buried. This already fragile region of the Horn of Africa could face lasting impacts.

Airplanes Grounded After Exposure to Plumes

Beyond Ethiopia, the resurgence of activity at Hayli Gubbi is expected to have international repercussions, warns CNN. Satellites detected thick plumes rising into the sky and drifting toward other territories. According to the latest report from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC), these volcanic clouds have traversed Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, and into India.

Islamabad issued an alert after ash entered its airspace on Monday evening. In India, the national airline, Air India, canceled several domestic and international flights to conduct "preventive checks on aircraft that flew over certain geographic areas after the Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption," as stated on the social media platform X.

Clouds Heading East

New Delhi, already struggling with severe air pollution, is not expected to be significantly impacted as the ash travels at high altitudes, assured the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). They also indicated that the ash should continue to "move rapidly eastward," suggesting that the indirect effects of the eruption will persist for some time.

Located about 800 kilometers from the capital, Addis Ababa, Hayli Gubbi sits at the southern end of the Erta Ale volcanic chain. The volcano rises approximately 500 meters in an area (the Rift Valley) where two tectonic plates converge, explaining the intense geological activity in the region.