Key Points:
Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted on 23 November 2025 after nearly 12,000 years.
Ash clouds are drifting towards Oman, Yemen, and northern India, prompting aviation alerts and flight diversions.
The dormant shield volcano could erupt due to magma rising when the Earth’s crust thins.
On 23 November 2025, Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in the Afar region, erupted so massively that it released a huge cloud of ash rising up to 15 km above the volcano. Scientists noted that the volcano had not shown any signs of eruption for nearly 12,000 years. The eruption was detected in the Danakil Depression with the help of satellite imagery.
The eruption, which continued for several hours, has reportedly resulted in no casualties so far, but its aftereffects could economically impact the local community of livestock herders.
The volcano had been dormant for thousands of years, and its sudden eruption has been described by scientists as a significant event in history. The eruption released a massive plume of ash that has been drifting towards Oman and Yemen. Hayli Gubbi, which has an altitude of 500 meters, has also sent an ash cloud reportedly moving towards India at a speed of 100–120 km/h.
The cloud of ash was reportedly identified by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC). As the ash emerging from the volcano has been observed expanding rapidly, aviation regulators have issued an alert. Several flights have changed their course because of the volcanic ash. The ash contains a mixture of sulphur dioxide, volcanic particles, and minute fragments of rock and glass.
Indian aviation authorities have issued a high alert, especially in northern India, as the ash clouds from Hayli Gubbi are moving towards the country. The ashes have reportedly reached regions including Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana.
Reports suggest that while the ash is not likely to significantly worsen the AQI levels in Indian cities, it may lead to an increase in sulphur dioxide concentrations. As a safety precaution, an IndiGo flight to Ahmedabad was diverted on November 24, 2025.
Akasa Air has released a statement announcing that it has cancelled flights to Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait as a safety precaution. “Our teams are closely monitoring the situation in line with international aviation advisories and safety protocols, and will take all necessary measures as required,” read the statement.
See Also: Volcano in Russia's Kamchatka Ejects ash up to 9.2 km High
Hayli Gubbi volcano is nothing less than a scientific marvel. It is a shield volcano—large and broad in structure. Such volcanoes are typically formed from numerous repeated flows of low-viscosity lava, which spreads out easily and creates a shield-like shape.
It is located in the Afar region of Ethiopia, about 500 miles northeast of Addis Ababa, near the Eritrean border. Its sudden eruption on 23 November 2025 is considered a significant scientific revelation, as the volcano had not shown any eruptive activity since the Holocene era, which began over 11,700 years ago.
The unexpected movement in this long-dormant volcano has attracted widespread attention from scientists around the world, as Hayli Gubbi is situated in a remote region where our understanding of the volcanic zone is still minimal.
A dormant volcano like Hayli Gubbi is considered a volcano that has the potential to reawaken at any time. It lies between an active and an extinct volcano and can erupt again under the right conditions. Volcanoes go dormant when magma from the mantle stops reaching the surface.
When the Earth’s crust, the thick outer shell, becomes thinner, it allows hot rocks from deep inside the planet to rise. These hot rocks melt into magma near the surface. Under such conditions, a dormant volcano can erupt again.
[Rh]
Suggested Reading: