Image: Terri O’Sullivan
Metre-wide cracks in the ground suddenly split open, as red-hot rock and ash are thrown violently into the air amid searing temperatures. It’s like a vision of how the Earth behaved in prehistoric times. Except these events have happened within the last three years in Ethiopia’s Afar region. What’s more, a matter of days ago there was more extreme volcanic activity there, with reports of the country’s biggest eruption to date – and the largest recorded lava flow in scientific history.
Aerial view of Erta Ale
Image: Filippo Jean
Satellite images show that this latest volcanic explosion spewed out lava across a huge area of 300 sq km, a record of its kind according to researchers. The eruption of molten rock also prompted a minor earthquake – though there were no reported casualties or major damage in the remote area, many of whose inhabitants are nomadic people. The same couldn’t be said in 2005, when thousands were displaced by a catastrophic eruption that darkened the skies for days, while lava flows in 2007 forced further evacuations.
Nomadic Afar people
Image: Kambiz Kamrani
The Afar region is one of the hottest and harshest environments in the world. It’s renowned for Erta Ale, the name describing both the chain of volcanoes responsible for these geological disturbances and its most active individual peak. One of only four volcanoes on the planet with a lava lake bubbling at its summit, Mount Erta Ale’s crater is the popular image of a volcano – a bottomless cauldron of lava extending down into the Earth’s mantle.
Erta Ale crater close-up
Image: Herve Sthioul
Scientists are busy studying these ruptures in the Earth’s crust at Afar, which sits along the 3000 km-long East African Rift marked by mountain ranges dropping precipitously into deep-lying basins. The magma forcing its way up from thousands of kilometres beneath the surface here is gradually splitting the African continent in two. Be prepared to see more of this part of the world’s explosive nature.
6 thoughts on “Ethiopia experiences world’s largest volcanic lava flow”
God is working to give us a sea port.He always protect his childern from all evils.
Amaizing!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please do more reporting on this developments.
This heartbreaking catastrophy might have caused immeasureable damage to the people and the environment, and I pray for all the victms.
God is postive and is capable of salvaging Ethiopia from every disaster.
Seeking benefit from such natural disater is not healthy desire.
I think it is wrong to comment:
“Ethiopiaw says God is working to give us a sea port.He always protect his childern from all evils”
Elias Wandimachin,
Please do not follow TPLF and zeregna style and call it “Afar Region” , this is Wello.
The Afar people are from Wello.
We must not follow Oromo Region, Afar Region, Ogaden/Somali Region, Amhara Region, Tigray Region.
Some of you are funny. How many times can god give sea coast. God is tired of you because you can’t keep what he gave you. Ethiopia had and even now have enough for it’s children. We just have to know how to share it with out greed. Otherwise, someone else will take it away as usual.What we need is the fear of god in our heart, respect for each other, and hard work. Laziness is the worst form of disease. A lazy person’s fate is jealousy and poverty. We have all these to defeat to overcome our shortcomings. Koreans have joined the developed worldby working hard. They have a county that is much less hospitable than Ethiopia. They barely have a place to farm. With in just the last 50 years, starting from scratch you can see where they are now. We could get there in just 20 years.
what is all this about god.
hot lava is flowing period.
the thing about the people living close by is more of an issue. I think more should be said about them because they need to be helped if they need to re-locate.
or maybe god will take care of them. or even better Meles ….ohohoh even better OOOOOOBAMA