Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi Volcano Erupts for First Time in Nearly 12,000 Years

A volcano in Ethiopia's northeastern Afar region erupted on Sunday, marking its first known activity in almost 12,000 years. The Hayli Gubbi volcano emitted thick plumes of smoke rising up to 14 kilometers (nine miles) into the atmosphere, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC).

Situated roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles) northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, Hayli Gubbi stands at about 500 meters and lies within the tectonically active Rift Valley where two plates converge.

The volcanic ash released drifted across a wide area, with reports indicating that clouds spread over Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan. Videos circulating on social media show dense white smoke columns, though their authenticity has yet to be independently confirmed.

The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program notes that this eruption marks Hayli Gubbi’s first since the beginning of the Holocene era, some 12,000 years ago at the close of the last Ice Age. Volcanologist Simon Carn from Michigan Technological University corroborated this, stating that Hayli Gubbi has no documented Holocene eruptions.

Local authorities in Afar have not provided updates regarding casualties or displacements following the eruption.