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Report on Erta Ale (Ethiopia) — 25 November-1 December 2020


Erta Ale

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 25 November-1 December 2020
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2020. Report on Erta Ale (Ethiopia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 25 November-1 December 2020. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (25 November-1 December 2020)

Erta Ale

Ethiopia

13.601°N, 40.666°E; summit elev. 585 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


Satellite data periodically showed possible thermal anomalies in Erta Ale’s N pit crater during 5 September-10 October; the crater was sometimes obscured by fumes through 29 November. A weak thermal anomaly may have been present in the S pit crater during 5 September-24 November, but was notably larger on 29 November.

Geological Summary. The Erta Ale basaltic shield volcano in Ethiopia has a 50-km-wide edifice that rises more than 600 m from below sea level in the Danakil depression. The volcano includes a 0.7 x 1.6 km summit crater hosting steep-sided pit craters. Another larger 1.8 x 3.1 km wide depression elongated parallel to the trend of the Erta Ale range is located SE of the summit and is bounded by curvilinear fault scarps on the SE side. Basaltic lava flows from these fissures have poured into the caldera and locally overflowed its rim. The summit caldera usually also holds at least one long-term lava lake that has been active since at least 1967, and possibly since 1906. Recent fissure eruptions have occurred on the N flank.

Source: Sentinel Hub