Researchers hope to use satellite imagery and remote monitoring to track any further eruptions from the zone. This also gives a better understanding of how magma behaves in this very little-explored region.
Image Source: X
Early on Sunday morning, a remote corner of Ethiopia shook as Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted in a spectacular display sending towering ash clouds high into the sky. Around 8:30 am local time, the explosion lit up the Danakil desert, a harsh, almost uninhabited region, and sent ash 10 to 15 kilometers above the Red Sea drifting toward southwestern Arabia.
This eruption is historic. Scientists say Hayli Gubbi has no known eruptions in recorded history making this the volcano’s first major activity in thousands of years. The site lies 15 kilometers southeast of the well-known Erta Ale volcano, in a region so remote that few humans have ever set foot there.
Advertisement
Satellite images captured the eruption showing thick smoke and a dense sulphur dioxide cloud rising high above the desert floor.
Advertisement
Michigan Tech’s Professor Simon Carn shared the first satellite photos online revealing the dramatic start of the eruption and the drifting plumes.
An explosive #eruption of Hayli Gubbi #volcano, located SE of Erta’Ale in the Afar Rift (Ethiopia), began at ~08:30 UTC on Nov 23. Eruption onset was fortuitously captured by a @planet.com overpass at 08:31 UTC. Hayli Gubbi has no record of Holocene eruptions. Toulouse VAAC reporting ash to ~15 km.
— Prof. Simon Carn (@simoncarn.bsky.social) November 23, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Luckily the area is nearly empty. There were no reports of injuries or property damage. “It’s a pristine but extreme desert, one of the hottest places on Earth,” explained volcanologists. This isolation allowed the volcano to erupt without threatening nearby communities.
Despite the remoteness on the ground, the ash cloud caught the attention of aviation authorities. The plume stretched across Yemen and Oman reaching altitudes nearly 20,000 feet.
Air traffic control centers issued warnings to airlines flying in the Middle East, as volcanic ash can damage engines and pose serious risks to aircraft.
By evening, the eruption appeared to calm but scientists continue to monitor the skies in case the volcano rumbles again.
A small earthquake shook the area just before the eruption likely caused by magma forcing its way to the surface. The Danakil region, part of Ethiopia’s Afar Rift, is famous for its extreme heat and tectonic activity. But its harsh conditions make detailed field studies difficult.
Researchers hope to use satellite imagery and remote monitoring to track any further eruptions from the zone. This also gives a better understanding of how magma behaves in this very little-explored region.
Advertisement
