Nabro is a stratovolcano at the SE end of the Danakil Alps in Eritrea and is the highest volcano in the Danakil depression.
Nabro is a complex volcano with 2 nested calderas of 8 and 15 km diameter, the larger of which is breached to the SW. The stratovolcano consists mainly of trachytic lava flows and tephra layers. Inside the caldera and on its flanks, there are post-caldera rhyolitic obsidian domes and basaltic lava flow. Although not precisely dated, the most recent features are lava flows from NNW-trending fissures transverse to the NE-SW trend of the Nabro volcanic range.
A new weak thermal anomaly located inside Nabro's summit caldera was detected on 29 Jan on satellite infrared images by MODVOLC. It suggests that some sort of activity still goes on there.
The eruption at Nabro volcano is continuing. The explosive phase seems to have ended, but there is still a large white steam and gas plume coming from the volcano and a large hot spot is visibe on the MODIS/Terra satellite images. Most likely, large lava flows are still being erupted. ...mehr
In the meanwhile, the Eritrean Government has issued a report of 7 fatalities and 4 injured people by the eruption, and mentions that local inhabitants have been evacuated and a scientific mission to survey the area has been sent. [less]
Nabro SO2 plume 14-17 June (OMI data, KNMI.FMI/NASA). Original images from ESA SACS, composite from The Volcanism Blog (volcanism.wordpress.com)
The eruption at Nabro volcano in Eritrea that started 5 days ago seems to have decreased a lot in intensity, or even have stopped. ...mehr
Emissions early yesterday on 16 June were still strong after recovering from a decrease on 14 June and the ash/aerosol (mainly SO2) plumes reached 20,-40,000 ft (6-12 km) and drifted N and NE to cause renewed flight cancellations in neighboring countries. Today, VAAC Toulouse reported at 06:00 UTC that the "eruption stopped" at 15:00 UTC on 16 June - no more ash can be detected above the volcano from satellite. MODIS hotspots data from 12-16 June indicate that the explosive eruption was accompanied by a large lava flow from vents inside the caldera and reaching around 16 km distance to the west of the caldera. It is uncertain whether lava emissions are still ongoing, but this is a realistic possibility. [less]
Meteosat satellite image from 13 June, 15h00 UTC showing the volcanic ash plume over Sudan and into Egypt. (source: http://oiswww.eumetsat.org/)
The eruption plume from the ongoing eruption at Nabro volcano is driffting at an altitude of ca. 7km (20,000 ft, flight level 200) and has reached southern Egypt. It is well visible on satellite images.
Eumetsat image, 08:00UTC. Thanks to this post on The Volcanism Blog: http://volcanism.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/eruption-in-eritrea-1000-km-plume/
USGS map of the Ethiopia-Eritrea earthquake swarm preceding the Dubbi (?) volcano eruption on 12 June 2012.
Following a swarm of intense earthquakes, a new and apparently large explosive eruption started last night in Eritrea near the Ethiopian border, in an area which is the continuation of the spreading rift axis of the Red Sea. ...mehr
The eruption produced a large ash plume detected on satellite images. The plume is now stretching more than 1000 km westwards into Sudan. The vent location is still uncertain. The eruption is coming from either Afambo, Nabri or Dubbi volcanoes. The last historic eruption of these was from Dubbi volcano in 1861 and also produced a large ash plume. [less]
