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Erta Ale volcano is a large basaltic shield volcano in the Erta Ale volcanic range in the central northern Danakil depression (NE Ethiopia).
It is famed for its persistent lava lake which has been active during most of the past decades since it was first discovered in the 1960s.
Erta Ale is only 613 m high, but as typical for a shield volcano has a very gentle slopes and a large 40 km diameter base. The summit is truncated by a complex, elongated 1700 x 600 m wide caldera which contains vast lava flows and several larger and smaller pit craters, most notably the active north and south crater, which contains the lava lake at present.
Erta Ale is one of the main attractions of the Danakil, and had became a popular tour destination in recent years. Unfortunately, the deadly attack on 4 January 2012 against tourists and scientists camped on the crater rim, in which several were killed, illustrates that the area is politically unstable and can be subject to terrorist attacks. Anyone visiting the volcano should be aware of this.
Shield volcano 613 m (2,011 ft)
Ethiopia, 13.6°N / 40.66°E
Erta Ale webcams / live dataErta Ale volcano videos
Erta Ale volcano eruptions:
1873(?), 1903(?), 1904(?), 1906, 1940, 1960, 1967-2004, 2005-ongoing
Typical eruption style:Effusive. Persistant lava lake.
Last earthquakes nearby
Erta Ale (Ethiopia) volcano news:
Fri, 3 Jan 11:00
The lava lake of Erta Ale in late December 2013 (Photo copyright: Dominik Voegtli) The level of Erta Ale's active lava lake in the southern pit crater has risen considerably during recent months and is now only about 5-10 m below the rim in some places. Check out some new pictures here.
Mon, 14 Oct 06:37
Lava bubble in the active lava lake of Erta Ale volcano (Ethiopia) ...moreThis is your chance to visit one of world's most exciting and volcanically impressing places in a small group (max 4 persons) organized by a professional competent tour operator. Highlights include: 3 days / nights at a great active lava lake, the unique, colorful Dallol and the great salt lakes with the ongoing, millennia-old tradition of salt mining and trading. [ less] [ read all]
Fri, 11 Jan 11:05
People on a recent expedition to Erta Ale reported that the lava lake was quite active and only about 10 m below the rim of the pit crater. ...moreIntermittent lava flows from an active hornito in the south pit crater have continued to fill its crater floor. [ less] Tue, 6 Mar 16:01
The 2 German tourists who were kidnapped on 17 January from their camp on the Erta Ale volcano in the northern Danakil desert, Ethiopia, are reported to have been released, news agencies reported from Addis Ababa. ...moreAccording to AFP, the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) has said that the 2 German tourists have already been handed over to representatives of the Afar tribe and from there to the German Embassy staff on Monday. The German Foreign Office has not yet officially confirmed this information. [ less] [ read all]
Mon, 20 Feb 08:38
More than a month after the 17 January attack on tourists and scientists at Erta Ale volcano, in which 5 were killed, several wounded and 4 people kidnapped, there is still no reliable news about the fate of the kidnapped. ...moreThe rebel Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front (ARDUF) has claimed responsibility for the attack, and added that the kidnapped 2 German tourists and two Ethiopian guides are in good health and will be released if there is a "positive" diplomatic outcome with Ethiopia who blames Eritrea to support ARDUF, Reuters reported. In the meanwhile, tour groups are returning to the area again. The Ethiopian government was said to have established a semi permanent military unit to increase safety for tourists at the volcano. [ less] [ read all]
Thu, 2 Feb 09:14
Ert Ale volcano, the site of the deadly terrorist attack 4 weeks ago, in which 5 people were killed, several wounded and 4 abducted, is now open for tour groups again, local sources confirm us, and the first European tour operators have resumed their expeditions (or never cancelled them, despite the accidents...). ...moreAccording to our correspondent in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Government is mobilizing mechanized troops and fenced the near border with Eritrea (where the attackers presumably came from) and establish a permanent special security force in the Dallol and Ert Ale areas. This illustrates the peculiar situation in this region, but according to tour operators in Ethiopia, the area can now be considered "100% safe". Unfortunately, there is no good news yet about the fate of the 4 abducted German tourists and Ethiopian guides, except that negotiations between the various parties involved (governments from Germany, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the local Afar chiefs) are "ongoing". We hope for their liberation soon! [ less] [ read all]
Wed, 18 Jan 09:37
We have now more precise details from what happened at Erta Ale yesterday, and can confirm that the attack was not on Dallol as we suspected, but on the crater rim of Erta Ale volcano. ...moreFor years now, this has been a popular camping spot for tourists visiting the spectacular lava lake. According to our correspondents in Addis, who are in satellite phone contact with guides on location in the area, the attack happened on Tuesday around 01:00 Am local time. 5 people at least were shot dead by a group of armed rebels from Eritrea, who suddenly opened fire on the group. The victims include tourists 2 each from Germany and Hungary and 1Austrian. Their bodies have arrived in Semera town, the capital city of the Afar Region, and are now being transported to Addis. [ less] [ read all]
Tue, 17 Jan 02:13
Reinhard sent us photos from the recent expedition to Erta Ale and Dallol volcano in the Danakil desert (Ethiopia) in Nov/Dec 2011.
Wed, 8 Dec 07:59
Significant changes have occured recently at Erta Ale volcano, the lava lake having filled up the south crater and overflowed repeatedly into the N and NW section of the caldera floor adjacient to the crater. ...moreDuring our latest expedition, we stayed on Erta Ale from early 25 Nov - 28 Nov. Upon our arrival, those changes very obvious. The lava lake had risen to the level of the former lower N section, the old terrace was gone, and the whole south crater was filled by overflows to the level of the lower old N-NW rim. Flows had indeed overflowed that section of the old crater circumference on a length of about 150m, or about 1 third of the old circumference. The still hot overflows had covered the outside caldera floor to about 50-100 distance, and one long flow, probably dated from 24 Nov (judging from its temperature) had almost reached the W caldera walls, as it followed the descending floor of the caldera in that direction. The still active lake itself was circular, about 40 m in diameter (about 2 thirds to half its size observed in 2008 and 2009), contained within a low ring-shaped wall and extremely active. Degassing fountains kept the whole surface violently boiling most of the time. [ less] [ read all]
Sat, 4 Dec 09:43
Scientists have observed that the lava lake at Erta Ale had some Strombolian activity in the southern pit crater during 20-23 November 2010. They have seen that the lava lake had filled the the pit crater and that lava flew also into the main crater.There was a little 4 m high scoria ring at the vent. ...more
Show more news
Thu, 11 Mar 05:52
An overflow of the lava lake of Erta Ale (Feb 2010, photo: R. Ringhofer) As visitors report, the lava level of Erta Ale has risen to within 10 meters beneath the rim of the south crater and is flooding its terrace frequently.
Wed, 22 Aug 08:01
The new fissure eruption in the Danakil near Erta Ale earlier this month, on 14-15 August, is reported to have killed five people, hundreds of camels and and drove more than 2 000 people from their homes. According to Ethiopian news sources, the "eruption also opened a 10km crack in the ground and spewed lava 300m in the air." ...moreIt is likely this is in fact not an eruption related to Erta Ale volcano. A more likely candidate could benearby Dabbahu volcano, a new fissure which had its first historic eruption in late Sept (26) - early Oct 2005. It could also be even a new volcano born from a new fissure: a new episode in the dramatic chapter of Earth's History called the "Splitting apart of East Africa". The occurrence of fissures and fissure eruptions in the area is not surprising, given the very geologic nature of the Afar triangle. Here, the two segments of the African plate and the adjacient Arabian plate are being pulled apart from each other, as East AFrica is slowly moving away from the rest of the continent. At the same time, the Red sea and the Gulf of Aden are widening and those movements are combined in the triple junction, which is the Afar triangle. Here, the crust is continuing to thin and the ground is sinking, until until one day, in geologically near future, the land will be flooded by the Red Sea to mark the initial stage of a new ocean. [ less] Thu, 16 Aug 11:21
The Ethiopian News Agency report a possible new flank eruption from Erta Ale volcano in the Danakil desert. Ethiopian News Agency. According to the agency, two people are reported missing and several hundreds of villagers were forced to flee from their area by a lava flow. ...more [ read all]
Thu, 20 Oct 20:35
Volcanic activity at Erta Ale reported previously actually occurred at Dabbahu: ...moreA team of scientists visited the Da'Ure locality immediately adjacent to the NE flank of the Quaternary Dabbahu (or Boina) felsic complex on 4 and 5 October after receiving reports of volcanic activity there on 26 September.
People in the area noted that on 26 September at about 1300 a very strong earthquake shook the area, and was followed by a dark column of "smoke" that rose high into the atmosphere and spread out to form a cloud, which darkened the area for 3 days and 3 nights. The scientists determined that a minor explosive eruption occurred from two semi-circular vents, producing ashfall that was ~5 cm thick near the vent. Ash deposits extended more than 500 m from the vent. Boulders emitted during the eruption were as large as 3 m and were deposited as far as 20 meters away. The scientists noted intense degassing from the vents, the scent of sulfur dioxide, and the sound of boiling water in the vents. As of about 10 October, the Addis Ababa University Geophysical Observatory reported that seismic activity in the area was continuing. Background: Dabbahu, also known as Boina or Moina, is a Holocene volcanic massif forming an axial range of the Afar depression SSW of the Alayta massif. Pantelleritic obsidian flows, lava domes, and pumice cones form the summit and upper flanks of the volcano, which rises above the Teru Plain and was built over a base of basaltic-to-trachytic lava flows of a shield volcano. Late-stage basaltic fissure eruptions occurred at the NW base of the volcano. Abundant fumaroles are located along the crest of the volcano and extend NE towards Alayta. [ less] [ read all]
Wed, 5 Oct 08:18
One week after the start of the eruption of Erta Ale, some details emerge as news reports come in: the crater of the large shield volcano has rapidly filled with fresh lava and possibly overflowed, destroying farmland and killing much livestock. strong strombolian or hawaiian activity is producing thick clouds of ash that shower over the volcano's surroundings. ...moreA group of scientists assessed the visible changes at Erta Ale on 26 September after activity began around 24 September. In comparison to observations made in November 2004, they found that the southern main crater/pit had widened significantly, with portions of the previous crater walls having collapsed into the lava lake. A new cone-shaped construct had grown within the southern main crater where there had been a platform. A lava lake occupied the entire width of the inner crater/pit. In the northern crater/pit, there was a solidified lava bulge and abundant "smoking" along the crater walls. No incandescent lava was visible in the pit.
Based on descriptions by local residents of seeing "red and glowing light shooting and rising into the air above the volcano," the scientists believe that a Strombolian eruption probably occurred, emitting a significant volume of fresh magma within, and possibly out of, the pit. No fatalities have been reported, but the Ethiopian government evacuated about 50,000 nomads in the surroundings of the volcano. A committee has been set up at to study the magnitude of the damage. [ less] [ read all]
Mon, 26 Sep 18:58
Erta Ale volcano in northern Afar, Ethiopia, well-known for its long-lived active lava lake that had occupied its crater up until 2004, erupted yesterday according to unconfirmed reports from local authorities. The eruption followed a series of earthquakes of up to 5.5. magnitude Richter scale that occurred in the area the day before.
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