An Ethiopian Shield Volcano, Hayli Gubbi, Has Erupted, For The First Time In Thousands Of Years

The Hayli Gubbi shield volcano, thought to be dormant since almost the last ice age, has erupted, and the volcanic plume is reaching heights at which intercontinental aircraft fly. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Hayli Gubbi is located in the Afar region of Ethiopia where the Arabian tectonic plate meets the Nubian and Somali parts of the African Plate, creating a triple junction . The Nubian and Somali plates are separating as the African Rift Valley splits the continent in two , which will eventually lead to part of east Africa becoming a separate continent .

Inevitably, this leads to a lot of volcanic activity. The Erta Ale volcano is continuously active, and boasts the world’s longest-existing lava lake i