A long-dormant volcano in Ethiopia’s northeastern Afar region, named Hayli Gubbi, erupted violently on Sunday, November 23, 2025, for the first time in an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 years.
The Eruption and Ash Plume
- Explosive Eruption: The eruption was explosive, described by one resident as feeling “like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash.” There was no reported lava flow, but a large amount of gas and a massive ash plume were ejected.
- Ash Cloud Altitude and Spread: The volcano sent a thick column of smoke and ash soaring up to 14-15 kilometers (45,000 feet) into the atmosphere. High-altitude winds carried the plume eastward, drifting across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman, and continuing over the Arabian Sea towards the Indian subcontinent (including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR, and Punjab) and eventually towards China.
- Hayli Gubbi Location: The volcano, which rises about 500 meters, is a shield volcano located in the geologically active Rift Valley, where two tectonic plates meet, approximately 800 kilometers northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa.
Impact and Concerns - Local Impact: The nearby village of Afdera was blanketed in a thick layer of ash. While local administrators confirmed no human or livestock casualties initially, there are serious concerns about the long-term economic fallout for the livestock-herding communities, as animals are struggling to graze on the ash-covered land.
- Aviation Disruption: The high-altitude ash cloud caused significant disruption to international air travel. Volcanic ash is a major hazard to aircraft, capable of damaging engines. Aviation regulators, including India’s DGCA, issued advisories, leading to the cancellation and delay of several international flights by various airlines as they rerouted to avoid the affected airspace.
- Current Ash Cloud Status: Meteorological departments, like the IMD in India, have been closely monitoring the plume’s movement, with forecasts indicating that the ash cloud is gradually moving out of Indian airspace toward China. Experts noted that while volcanic ash is hazardous, the plume’s very high altitude limited the direct health threat to humans on the ground.
The sudden and rare eruption of this long-dormant volcano is a significant geological event, prompting international monitoring due to the widespread travel disruption caused by the massive ash cloud.
Impact on Air Quality
The ash cloud from the Hayli Gubbi volcano has traveled over the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Asia, causing disruption but having a limited impact on ground-level air quality in major cities like Delhi.
- Altitude is Key: Meteorological experts, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), confirmed that the ash plume is traveling at a very high altitude, primarily in the upper troposphere (between 10 km and 15 km above the surface). Because of this height, the ash and glass particles are unlikely to settle down and mix with the air that people breathe at ground level.
- Ground-Level AQI: The general consensus is that the volcanic ash will not significantly worsen the local Air Quality Index (AQI) in regions like Delhi-NCR, which are already struggling with severe local pollution.
- Composition: The plume contains volcanic ash, sulfur dioxide (\text{SO}_2), and fine particles of glass and rock.
- Visible Effects: The primary effect on the ground has been reports of hazy or darker skies in regions over which the plume has passed.
- Aviation Hazard: The major concern remains aviation. The ash plume’s high altitude and composition (fine glass particles that can damage or stall jet engines) led to the cancellation and rerouting of numerous international flights.
- Plume Movement: The ash cloud is continuing its eastward trajectory, with forecasts indicating it is moving out of Indian airspace toward China.