Global Volcanism Program

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Dubbi.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Dubbi.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Dubbi.

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

221100

1861 CE

1,625 m / 5,331 ft

13.579°N
41.809°E

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Composite

Volcano Types
Stratovolcano
Pyroclastic cone(s)
Lava dome(s)

Rock Types

Major
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite

Minor
Trachyandesite / Basaltic Trachyandesite
Trachyte / Trachydacite
Rhyolite

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone
Intermediate crust (15-25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

0
0
18
14,867

Geological Summary

Dubbi, located east of the Erta Ale Range and south of the crystalline basement rocks of the Danakil Alps, is a large volcanic massif that rises above the western shore of the Red Sea. About 20 small cinder cones are located at the summit, and extensive basaltic lava fields to the north and NE, known as the Edd lava field, cover an area of 2700 km² and reach the Red Sea coast. The two most-recent eruptive centers are fissure systems that extend NW-SE and NNE-SSW. The former produced lava flows that reached the Red Sea in 1400 CE. The second created 19 small craters at the summit in 1861. Ash fell more than 300 km from the volcano. Two villages were destroyed and more than 100 people were killed during Africa's largest eruption in historical time. Lava flows from the 1861 eruption traveled as far as 22 km and reached the coast.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

CNR-CNRS Afar Team, 1973. Geology of northern Afar (Ethiopia). Rev Geog Phys Geol Dynam, 15: 443-490.

De Fino M, La Volpe L, Lirer L, 1978. Geology and volcanology of the Edd-Bahar Assoli area (Ethiopia). Bulletin of Volcanology, 41: 32-42.

Richard J J, Neumann van Padang M, 1957. Africa and the Red Sea. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields, Rome: IAVCEI 4: 1-118.

Wiart P, Oppenheimer C, 2005. Large magnitude silicic volcanism in north Afar: the Nabro volcanic range and Ma'alalta volcano. Bulletin of Volcanology, 67: 99-115.

Wiart P, Oppenheimer C, 2000. Largest known historical eruption in Africa: Dubbi volcano, Eritrea, 1861. Geology, 28: 291-294.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 2 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

[ 1900 (?) ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

1900 (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Unknown

List of 1 Events for Episode 1

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	Uncertain

[ 1863 ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

1863 - Unknown

Evidence from Unknown

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion	Uncertain
- - - -	- - - -	Ash	Uncertain
1863	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1861 May 8 - 1861 Oct (?) Confirmed Eruption (Explosive / Effusive) VEI: 3 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

1861 May 8 - 1861 Oct (?)

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 9 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Pyroclastic flow	Uncertain
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Ash
- - - -	- - - -	Bombs
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)
- - - -	- - - -	Property Damage
1861	- - - -	Fatalities
1861 May 8	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

1400 Jul 15 ± 45 days Confirmed Eruption (Explosive / Effusive) VEI: 2 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption (Explosive / Effusive)

1400 Jul 15 ± 45 days - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 5 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	Entered water.
- - - -	- - - -	Earthquakes (undefined)
1400 Jul 15 ± 45 days	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Synonyms

Edd, Volcano of | Dubbey, Gebel | Dubbeh, Djebel

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Dethali

Cone

795 m

13° 39' 20.00" N

41° 46' 17.00" E

Edd Lava Field

Volcanic field

300 m

13° 44' 30.00" N

41° 44' 30.00" E

Kod Ali

Lava cone

56 m

13° 56' 20.00" N

41° 49' 50.00" E

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Arooma

Crater

Photo Gallery

Dark-colored lava flows radiate away from the summit of Dubbi volcano in this Space Shuttle image with the Red Sea at the upper right. The two most recent eruptions were fed by fissure systems that extend NW-SE and NNE-SSW. The former produced lava flows that reached the Red Sea in 1400 CE. Lava flows from the 1861 eruption traveled as far as 22 km to the east and also reached the coast.

Photo S-61A-36, 1985 (National Aeronautical and Space Administration).

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Dubbi in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Dubbi. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Dubbi. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Dubbi

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).