Ethiopian Volcano Awakens After 12,000 Years, Sending Ash Across Continents

The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia's remote Afar region erupted on Sunday, November 23, 2025, marking its first known activity in nearly 12,000 years, according to The Guardian. This rare geological event sent massive plumes of smoke and ash high into the atmosphere, impacting air travel and raising concerns for local communities.

discovermagazine.com reported, The eruption, which lasted for several hours, propelled ash and sulfur dioxide up to 45,000 feet (9 miles) into the sky, Live Science reported on November 25. Satellite imagery captured the dramatic plume as it began its extensive journey across international borders.

While no casualties were reported in Ethiopia, the ash cloud drifted eastward across the Red Sea, reaching Yemen and Oman, and subsequently extended over the Arabian Sea towards India and Pakistan, as noted by NDTV on November 24. This widespread dispersal led to significant disruptions in air travel.

theguardian.com noted, A local administrator, Mohammed Seid, expressed concern for the economic implications on livestock herders in the Afar region, stating that many villages were covered in ash, leaving animals with little to eat, The Associated Press reported on November 25. Mobile medical services were dispatched to affected neighborhoods.

The explosive eruption, classified as sub-Plinian, occurred around 8:30 a.m. UTC on Sunday, with the explosive phase subsiding by 8 p.m. UTC, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) as cited by Live Science. This sudden awakening of a long-dormant volcano has drawn global scientific attention.

livescience.com reported, Volcanic activity at Hayli Gubbi had largely subsided by Tuesday, November 25, according to The Hindu. However, the far-reaching effects of the ash plume continued to be monitored by meteorological agencies and aviation authorities across multiple continents.

• Geological Significance and Location: Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano situated in Ethiopia's Afar Depression, a highly tectonically active region known as the Afar Triangle. This area is part of the East African Rift System, where the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian plates are slowly pulling apart, making it a zone of frequent volcanism and earthquakes, as explained by geologists like Atalay Ayele of Addis Ababa University. The volcano is also the southernmost in the Erta Ale Range, which includes the continuously active Erta Ale volcano.

• discovermagazine.com noted, Unprecedented Eruption After Millennia: The eruption is particularly notable as it is the first recorded activity for Hayli Gubbi in the Holocene epoch, which began approximately 11,700 to 12,000 years ago. The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program had no prior record of eruptions for Hayli Gubbi during this period, a fact confirmed by volcanologist Simon Carn of Michigan Technological University, as reported by CBS News on November 25. This long dormancy makes the event a significant geological occurrence.

• Widespread Ash and SO2 Plume: The volcanic plume, containing both ash and sulfur dioxide (SO2), reached an altitude of 45,000 feet and traveled thousands of kilometers. Satellite images from Copernicus Sentinel-5P, highlighted by India Today on November 26, showed the SO2 plume extending over 3,700 kilometers from Ethiopia across the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian Sea, and into western India. This extensive dispersal posed threats to aviation safety and regional air quality.

• theguardian.com reported, Impact on Aviation and Air Quality: The far-reaching ash cloud led to numerous flight cancellations and delays, particularly affecting routes between India and the Middle East. Air India canceled at least 11 international flights, and Akasa Air also suspended services to destinations like Jeddah and Abu Dhabi, Reuters reported on November 25. While the India Meteorological Department confirmed the ash cleared Indian skies by Tuesday evening, the event underscored the interconnectedness of global atmospheric systems and aviation.

• Local Socio-Economic Consequences: Despite no human casualties, the eruption has severe potential economic implications for the pastoralist communities in Ethiopia's Afar region. Local official Mohammed Seid told The Associated Press that ashfall has covered grazing lands and contaminated water sources, making it difficult for livestock to find sustenance. This directly threatens the livelihoods and food security of residents in villages like Afdera, which were blanketed in dust.

• livescience.com noted, Scientific Explanation for the Eruption: Scientists believe the eruption is linked to the ongoing rifting process in the East African Rift System. As tectonic plates diverge, hot mantle rock rises, melting and feeding magma into shallow chambers beneath the volcano. The Hindu explained on November 25 that over millennia, this magma can build up pressure, and a crack in the crust can then allow gas-rich magma to rise explosively, as observed in Hayli Gubbi's recent activity.

• Monitoring and Future Outlook: Volcanic activity at Hayli Gubbi had largely subsided by Wednesday, November 26, according to Mint. However, monitoring efforts by agencies like the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center and satellite systems continue to track any residual atmospheric impacts. Experts like geologist Atalay Ayele anticipate the eruption will likely be short-lived, followed by another period of dormancy until the next geological cycle.