Hayli Gubbi (Ethiopia) — a volcano “wakes up” after ~12,000 years
- On 23 November 2025, the shield volcano Hayli Gubbi — located in the Afar region of Ethiopia — erupted. This marks the first confirmed eruption in approximately 12,000 years. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The eruption sent a massive ash-and-gas plume soaring up to 14 km (≈ 45,000 feet) into the atmosphere. (reuters.com)
- Within hours, the ash plume had drifted across the Red Sea and travelled over Yemen and Oman, eventually reaching parts of South Asia — including northern India and Pakistan — forcing airlines to cancel or reroute flights due to safety concerns. (reuters.com)
- On the ground, the eruption blanketed nearby villages (e.g. around Afdera) with ash. Residents reported disrupted grazing lands, water contamination, and respiratory issues — while local health services scrambled to respond. (livemint.com)
- By 25 November, the explosive activity had largely subsided; but satellite imagery (e.g. from Copernicus Sentinel‑5P) confirmed extensive fresh ash deposits and a sulfur‑dioxide plume stretching thousands of kilometres. (volcanodiscovery.com)
Why this matters: Hayli Gubbi’s eruption is historic — a volcano considered “dormant” for millennia has suddenly awakened. The event underlines how unpredictable Earth’s geology remains, even for remote or understudied volcanoes. The cross‑continental spread of the ash plume shows volcanic eruptions can have global ramifications: from aviation safety to atmospheric and public‑health impacts.
Mount Semeru (Indonesia) — fresh eruption, mass evacuations & ash fallout
On 19 November 2025, Mount Semeru — Java’s highest volcano — erupted, spewing pyroclastic flows of ash, lava, gas, and hot rock down its slopes.
The eruption caused a dense ash cloud and forced authorities to raise the volcano’s alert level to the highest. Over 300 residents in nearby vulnerable villages were evacuated to shelters.
Additionally, around 170–180 climbers, porters, and guides who had been near the crater were stranded — but have since been rescued and safely returned.
The eruption has renewed fears of long‑term hazards: ash pollution, road/transport disruption, risks to communities living near volcanoes, and increased scrutiny over volcanic safety measures.
Why it matters: Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” home to many active volcanoes. Semeru’s latest eruption is a stark reminder of the ongoing risk volcanoes pose to communities — especially in densely populated or infrastructurally fragile regions. For an environment‑news site, it underscores the human-environment intersection: how natural disasters impact livelihoods, mobility, and safety.
Kīlauea (Hawaii, USA) — active lava fountains continue in 2025
- The volcano Kīlauea, located on Hawaii’s Big Island, has continued eruptive activity through 2025. On a recent eruption day, the volcano produced spectacular lava fountains that soared up to 400 feet (≈ 122 m) high within the summit caldera.
- This marked the 37th eruption since the current eruptive phase began in December of the previous year.
- While the activity is described as “contained” and poses no immediate threat to nearby homes, the lava fountains and volcanic gas emissions remain of major interest — for scientists, tourists, and environmental observers alike.
Why it matters: Kīlauea’s frequent eruptions show how volcanic activity isn’t just about catastrophic “once‑in‑a‑millennia” events — some volcanoes behave like “geological machines,” with ongoing cycles of eruptions. For environmental news platforms, Kīlauea offers continuous storylines: from geological science to air‑quality monitoring, tourism‑environment interactions, and volcanic‑gas/climate links.
Global Impacts & What to Watch Next
- The ash plume from Hayli Gubbi disrupted international air travel — airlines cancelled or rerouted flights across regions as far as India and the Middle East.
- On-the-ground communities — especially in Ethiopia’s Afar region and Indonesia’s East Java — face immediate challenges: ash‑covered land, loss of grazing grounds, water contamination, respiratory problems, displacement, and economic losses.
- From a scientific and environmental perspective, these eruptions offer data on volcanic gas emissions, ash dispersal patterns, atmospheric and climate effects, and the unpredictability of “dormant” volcanoes — all relevant for long‑term risk assessment and disaster preparedness.
