Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano erupts for first time after 10,000 years
Geological Background
The volcano Hayli Gubbi that erupted belongs to the Erta Ale Range in Ethiopia’s Afar region.
The eruption is significant because the volcano had been dormant for nearly 10,000 years, making it a rare geological event.
The region lies within the Afar Triple Junction, where the Arabian, Nubian (African), and Somalian tectonic plates meet — one of the most tectonically active and thinning crustal regions in the world.
Significance of the Eruption
A dormant volcano erupting after 10,000 years indicates:
Possible renewed magmatic activity in the Afar rift.
Increased tectonic stresses or magma movement along divergent plate boundaries.
Ring-fenced under “Holocene volcanism,” it contributes to global studies of rare long-interval eruptions.
India-Relevant Impact
The eruption produced large ash plumes, which—due to high-altitude winds—travelled across Yemen and Oman and entered India.
Prelims Practice MCQs
Q. The Hayli Gubbi volcano that recently erupted after nearly 10,000 years is located in which major tectonic setting?
(a) Collision boundary between Indian and Eurasian Plates
(b) Divergent boundary at the Afar Triple Junction
(c) Subduction zone along the Pacific Ring of Fire
(d) Transform boundary between African and Arabian Plates
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
The Erta Ale region lies in the Afar Triple Junction, a classic divergent plate boundary where three plates are pulling apart.
Q. The Afar region, where the Erta Ale Range lies, is globally important because:
(a) It is one of the few places where a mid-ocean ridge rises above sea level.
(b) It is the location of the world’s deepest marine trench.
(c) It is the site where the Indian Plate begins to subduct.
(d) It is a hotspot of meteorite impacts.
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
The Afar Rift exposes continental rifting similar to mid-ocean ridge processes, visible on land — a rare feature.