Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano erupts for the first time in over 10,000 years, sending massive ash plumes toward Oman and Yemen

Economic Times
Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:42 UTC

Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption.

Hayli Gubbi, Ethiopia's long-dormant volcano, located in the Erta Ale Range, has erupted for the first time in 10,000 years, spewing towering ash columns that drifted across the Red Sea toward Oman and Yemen. Scientists say the eruption marks one of the most extraordinary volcanic awakenings in the region's recorded history.

The explosive eruption began around 8:30 a.m. UTC on Sunday, according to VolcanoDiscovery, citing an advisory from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC). Satellite data later confirmed the presence of a massive ash cloud rising an estimated 10 - 15 km into the atmosphere.

Where is Hayli Gubbi and why is this eruption significant?

Hayli Gubbi lies about 15 km southeast of the Erta Ale volcano, one of the most active volcanoes on Earth and home to a persistent lava lake. It also sits within Ethiopia's Danakil Depression, one of the hottest and most remote areas on the planet. Unlike its well-known neighbor, Hayli Gubbi has no previously recorded eruptions in modern history.

Some outlets reported it's possibly as long as 10,000 years, based on available geological estimates.

The eruption is considered highly unusual due to the lack of historical activity, sparse geological studies in the area, and the region's extreme and inhospitable conditions, which make research difficult.

What do satellite images reveal?

Satellite observations show not only towering ash plumes but also a significant release of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), a common marker of major volcanic activity. Because the area is remote and largely uninhabited, satellite data remains the primary source of information for scientists monitoring the eruption.

FAQs on Hayli Gubbi

When did the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia erupt?
The Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted on Sunday around 8:30 a.m. UTC, marking its first known eruption in nearly 10,000 years, according to advisory data from the Toulouse VAAC and satellite observations.

Where did the ash plume from the Hayli Gubbi eruption travel?

The eruption sent a massive ash plume rising up to 10 - 15 km, drifting across the Red Sea toward parts of the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, including areas of Oman and Yemen.

Why is the Hayli Gubbi eruption considered significant?

This eruption is significant because Hayli Gubbi had no recorded activity in modern history and may have been dormant for thousands of years. Its sudden awakening in a remote, poorly studied volcanic zone has drawn global scientific attention.

Comment: Also pertinent: Russia: Kamchatka's Krasheninnikov volcano erupts for the first time in 600 years

When something unexpected happens, people respond in different way. To the article, there was just one comment from a person recommending, essentially, that people surrender to Islamic fundamentalism. In a certain perspective, is such a statement different from fear based policies imposed by secular Governments that then lead to poorer health, reduced wealth and increased control?

Further up the tectonic fault lines, there was in early 2023:
Best of the Web: Turkey hit by second major earthquake, magnitude 7.5 - UPDATE: Turkey/Syria rocked by third quake, magnitude 6.0

The eruption may have been unexpected, but there were still signs. From the Smithsonian/USGS Weekly Volanic Activity Report, there was:

According to the UK Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET) response reports, explosive activity at Erta Ale (12 km NW) on 15 July was accompanied by an intrusion of magma along a dike that propagated SE towards Hayli Gubbi. Sentinel satellite imagery on 16 July showed a line of fissure vents that produced lava flows outside the S caldera of Erta Ale (6 km S of the northern pit craters). Another group of four fissure vents opened further along the rift to the SE, with the most distant only 2 km from the Hayli Gubbi crater. No lava lakes were seen in the pit craters after 18 July, but satellite data indicated uplift in the region during 21 July-3 August, and an anomalous white cloud within Hayli Gubbi's crater was observed on 25 July. Satellite data showed that the white plume covered the crater floor in most of the images (several per month) at least through 18 November.