Ethiopia Volcano Eruption: Mount Hayli Gubbi Erupts After 12,000 Years, Ash Reaches India

The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in the Afar region of Ethiopia, about 800 kilometers northeast of Addis Ababa, has attracted global attention.

It is part of the Erta Ale Mountains, just 15 kilometers southeast of the highly active Erta Ale volcano.

Hayli Gubbi is classified as a shield volcano, approximately 500 meters high, within the Rift Valley, a zone of intense geological activity.

This region is known for being the meeting point of two tectonic plates, making it a highly dynamic area geologically.

According to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, Hayli Gubbi has no recorded eruptions during the Holocene epoch, which began approximately 12,000 years ago after the end of the last ice age.

The volcanic ash plume from the Ethiopian volcano eruption had a very wide reach, drifting across the Red Sea and reaching Yemen and Oman.

In fact, the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) reported that the ash plume reached altitudes of up to 45,000 feet and traveled as far as India and northern Pakistan.

Several major airlines, including Air Arabia, Akasa Air, IndiGo, and Air India, were forced to cancel or reroute several flights between India and the United Arab Emirates for the safety of passengers and crew.

Locally, although there were no casualties, many villages around Hayli Gubbi were covered in a thick layer of ash.

One local resident, Ahmed Abdela, described the experience of the eruption as feeling like "a bomb suddenly dropped with smoke and ash."

In response, the Oman Environment Authority immediately activated its Environmental Emergency Center.

Ethiopia, particularly the Afar region, is known for having one of the most intense volcanic activity areas in the world.

This is due to its location at the Afar Triple Junction, where three tectonic plates—the African Plate, the Arabian Plate, and the Somali Plate—converge and move apart.

One of the most active volcanoes in the region is Erta Ale, a shield volcano that exhibits continuous activity in northeastern Afar.

Erta Ale is known for having the longest-lasting lava lake, with recorded activity dating back to 1906.

The mountain often has one or two active lava lakes at its summit, which occasionally overflow.

Erta Ale's most recent eruptive activity was recorded as beginning in January 2017 and continuing through March 2020, with volcanic activity continuing until April 2024.

In fact, on November 24, 2025, the day after Hayli Gubbi, Erta Ale also reportedly erupted with unusual force, adding to the complexity of Ethiopian volcanic eruptions in the region.

In addition to Erta Ale, Dabbahu volcano is also part of the active Afar volcanic system.

Dabbahu's only recorded eruption occurred on September 26, 2005, preceded by a series of earthquakes and ground swelling.

This eruption created a large fissure known as the Dabbahu fissure and a 30-meter-wide floating dome.