On November 23, 2025, the Hayli Gubbi volcano, in Ethiopia’s Afar region (part of the tectonically active East African Rift System), erupted explosively for the first time in recorded history, with an estimated age of between 10,000 and 12,000 years.
The eruption spewed ash plumes up to 14-16 km (9-10 miles) high, visible in satellite images from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellite.
Activity subsided on November 25, leaving behind new ash deposits and two new craters. While no human casualties were reported, the event affected local communities and international aviation.
The effects of the eruption were felt locally and regionally, primarily through ashfall rather than lava flows or pyroclastic flows.
Local communities and health: Nearby villages in the Afdera district, including Fia and Nemma-Gubi, were blanketed in ash, causing respiratory problems, such as coughing, among residents. Livestock farmers faced immediate threats as ash covered pastures and contaminated water sources, preventing animals from accessing clean food and hydration.
Ethiopian authorities deployed mobile medical teams to provide health support, but no injuries or deaths were reported. Residents described a “terrifying explosion” similar to a bomb blast, with shockwaves and a thick plume of smoke.
Aviation and travel: The ash cloud drifted eastward across the Red Sea, affecting Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, and southern China. In India, the ash plume triggered altitude restrictions between 7,670 and 13,700 meters due to the risk of engine damage.
Airlines such as Air India canceled 11 flights (mostly international flights from Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai), while Akasa Air suspended routes to Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi. At least seven international flights at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi were canceled, and a dozen more were delayed. The ash cloud was expected to clear Indian airspace by 2:00 PM GMT on November 25.
Environmental: Satellite images captured vast deposits of ash around the volcano, with plumes of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) reaching southern Japan on November 25. No significant degradation of air quality was reported at ground level in affected cities such as Delhi, as the ash remained at high altitude.
The consequences of the eruption encompass short-term disruptions and potential long-term ecological and economic repercussions, although its scale was limited compared to larger events such as the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland.
Short-term economic and social impacts: Farmers and herders in the sparsely populated Afar region, already affected by the area’s harsh desert conditions, faced immediate threats to their livelihoods due to ash-covered land, which could delay agricultural recovery for weeks.
Flight disruptions stranded thousands of passengers and incurred costs for airlines in diversions and inspections. Globally, the event highlighted vulnerabilities in high-altitude flight routes over rift zones.
Long-term environmental and geological impacts: Ash pollution could lead to soil infertility and reduced biodiversity in grazing areas if not cleaned up promptly, exacerbating food insecurity for nomadic communities.
SO₂ emissions, while minor in global climate terms, contribute to temporary atmospheric cooling effects. Geologically, this event underscores the hyperactivity of the Afar Fault; the nearby Erta Ale volcano has been erupting since July 2025, suggesting a hotspot of volcanic activity that could reappear.
Broader regional impacts: No cross-border conflicts arose, but ash drift hampered international coordination, and alerts from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre and the Indian Meteorological Department facilitated a rapid response.
Experts consider the eruption an unusual but expected manifestation of volcanism driven by the Ethiopian Rift, with limited long-term global repercussions but valuable lessons for monitoring remote sites.
Geologist Atalay Ayele, of Addis Ababa University, described it as a “short-period” event linked to the frequent seismic and volcanic cycles of the Afar Rift, predicting subsidence followed by a period of dormancy until the “next cycle,” possibly centuries away. Volcanologist Juliet Biggs noted that the lack of historical records does not rule out recent activity (centuries old), evidenced by recent lava flows, which underscores the need for better instrumentation in undocumented regions.
The Geological Society of America framed it as part of a 30-million-year tectonic progression in the East African Rift, linking it to studies of magma migration and plate divergence. Local administrator Mohammed Seid highlighted the economic concerns of the herders, while the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program confirmed the absence of Holocene precedents, reinforcing Hayli Gubbi’s status of “prolonged dormancy.”
Overall, the eruption caused manageable disturbances without causing a catastrophe, but it serves as a reminder of the fault’s unpredictability. Improved satellite monitoring and community preparedness could mitigate future risks in this geodynamically vibrant area. As of November 25, ash plumes continued to dissipate eastward, with no renewed activity reported.
