Volcano in Ethiopia

Erta Ale volcano: eruption status today

Updated

No eruption of Erta Ale is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later (NOAA NCEI).

Live status of Erta Ale: whether it is erupting now, satellite hot spots, earthquakes around it, and what an eruption would mean for nearby cities and flights.

Status now
No open report
Last eruption
1964 or later
Elevation
585 m 1,919 ft
Type
Shield volcano
Earthquakes within 50 km
0 past 30 days (USGS)
Hot spots within 10 km
0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
Nearest city
Mek'ele 129 km W

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Is Erta Ale erupting right now?

There is no open NASA EONET event for Erta Ale right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1964 or later. Volcano observatories can raise alert levels before an eruption starts, so check the national observatory for the current alert level.

No satellite thermal hot spot was detected within 10 km of the summit in the latest NASA FIRMS data, so there is no sign of lava at the surface large enough for VIIRS to see (clouds can hide it).

Earthquakes near Erta Ale

USGS has no earthquake within 50 km of Erta Ale in the past 30 days. Outside the United States USGS mainly lists quakes above about M4, so small volcanic tremors recorded by the local observatory will not appear here.

About Erta Ale

Erta Ale is a shield volcano in Africa-NE, Ethiopia, rising to 585 m (1,919 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".

Shield volcanoes have broad, gentle slopes built by fluid lava flows; eruptions are usually effusive (lava fountains and flows) rather than explosive.

The nearest large town is Mek'ele, about 129 km W of the summit; 2 other cities lie within 250 km.

Flights and volcanic ash

No major hub airport is within 400 km (the closest is Addis Ababa Bole, 553 km away), but ash clouds from explosive eruptions can drift for thousands of kilometres along flight routes.

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) issue the official ash advisories that airlines and air traffic control follow.

Other volcanoes in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has 6 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now. The closest other one is Hayli Gubbi, 12 km away.

Nearby volcanoes

Volcanoes in Ethiopia

More

Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.