Volcano Eruption in Ethiopia's Afar Region After 12,000 Years: Hayli Gubbi Spews Ash Clouds Nine Miles High
A volcano in the northeastern region of Ethiopia has erupted after nearly 12,000 years, spewing thick smoke up to nine miles into the sky, as reported by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC). The Hayli Gubbi volcano, situated in Ethiopia's Afar region near the Eritrean border, erupted for several hours on Sunday. This volcano, with an altitude of about 500 meters, is located within the Rift Valley, an area of significant geological activity where two tectonic plates converge.
The ash clouds from the eruption were carried over Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan, according to the VAAC. Videos circulating on social media showed a dense column of white smoke rising from the volcano. The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program noted that Hayli Gubbi had not experienced any eruptions during the Holocene period, which began approximately 12,000 years ago at the conclusion of the last ice age.
Simon Carn, a volcanologist and professor at Michigan Technological University, confirmed that there is no historical record of Holocene eruptions at Hayli Gubbi. Authorities in the Afar region have not yet provided information in response to inquiries from AFP regarding potential casualties or the number of people displaced by the eruption.