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Author: RICE IAS

The Hayli Gubbi Eruption (2025)

Event Overview & Trajectory • The Event: On November 23, 2025, the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia, dormant for nearly 12,000 years, experienced a massive Sub-Plinian eruption. • Plume Dynamics: The eruption generated an ash column rising to 45,000 ft (FL450). • Dispersion Path: Driven by high-altitude westerly winds and jet streams, the plume drifted across the Red Sea, Yemen, and Oman, moving toward the Arabian Sea and Western India. • Current Concern: Primary risks involve aviation safety (due to volcanic glass in engines) and upper-atmosphere visibility. Ground-level air quality impact in India is expected to be minimal due to the plume's high altitude. Geological Setting & Tectonics • Location: Situated in the Afar Depression (Ethiopia), within the Erta Ale volcanic range. • Volcano Type: Shield Volcano—characterised by a broad, low-gradient structure formed by fluid basaltic lava flows. • Tectonic Driver: The volcano sits on the East African Rift System (EARS), a divergent boundary where the Nubian Plate and Somali Plate are separating. • The "Triple Junction": The region is geologically unique as the meeting point of the Red Sea Rift, Gulf of Aden Rift, and East African Rift, aided by a deep mantle plume that thins the crust. Mechanism of Eruption • Plate Divergence: The pulling apart of tectonic plates creates deep fissures. • Crustal Thinning: Reduced pressure allows magma from the mantle plume to ascend rapidly. • Seismic Precursors: The eruption was likely preceded by earthquake swarms indicating magma movement through fissures. Plume Composition & Atmospheric Impact: • Constituents: The cloud contains silicate ash, rock fragments, volcanic glass shards, and Sulphur Dioxide (SO2). • Aviation Hazard: Volcanic glass (silica) melts inside jet engines, causing failure; this necessitates flight diversions. • Climatic Effect: High-altitude aerosols and SO2 can reflect solar radiation, potentially causing temporary localized cooling or haze. Socio-Economic & Environmental Consequences • Aviation & Trade: Disruption of flight routes over the Red Sea and Arabian Peninsula increases logistics costs and travel delays. • Agriculture (Local): In the Afar region, heavy ashfall threatens crop yields, contaminates water bodies, and affects livestock grazing. Ecological Damage: Ash deposits alter soil pH and damage local vegetation, while gas emissions degrade regional air quality. Regional Fact File: Ethiopia & African Volcanology • Geopolitical Borders: Ethiopia is landlocked, bordered by Eritrea (North), Djibouti (Northeast), Somalia (East), Kenya (South), South Sudan (West), and Sudan (Northwest). • Other Notable African Volcanoes: • Mt. Nyiragongo (DR Congo): Famous for fast-moving lava lakes. • Erta Ale (Ethiopia): Known for persistent lava lake activity. • Dabbahu & Alayta (Ethiopia): Active rift volcanoes in the Afar region.

Event Overview & Trajectory Geological Setting & Tectonics Mechanism of Eruption Plume Composition & Atmospheric Impact: Socio-Economic & Environmental Consequences […]

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