Aside from the continuous belts of volcanoes on the ocean floor at spreading centers, there are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, some documents revealed.
The Ethiopian Rift Valley is just one part of the East African Rift system – the largest active continental rift on Earth. The Ethiopian rift hosts nearly 60 volcanoes that are thought to have erupted in the past 10,000 years.
Despite some of them being inactive (extinct), (Dubbi 1400 and 1861; Dabbahu, 2005; the Manda Hararo Rift, 2007, 2009; Dallafilla, 2008, and Nabro, 2011, MER: 1631 (Dama Ali), and ca. 1820 (Fantale) and (Kone) are among the active rifts.
Erta Ale is among the several volcanoes that have had major recent or historical eruptions with the following unique features.
1. Location
Erta Ale volcano is a large basaltic shield volcano in the Erta Ale volcanic range in the central northern Danakil depression, at Afar Region, Ethiopia). It is found at Danakil depression, Ethiopia, 13.6°N / 40.66°E.
Historically, Afar region is well known for all as it is the origin of human kind. The most famous of the discoveries in the Afar region, of course, is that of Lucy (Dinkenesh’ — wonderful), the most complete skeleton. A skeleton of an older human ancestor Australopithecus Afarensis was discovered in 1974 in the Afar region. Homo Sapiens Idaltu (Elder’) the earliest modern human fossil at 160,000 year old was also found in the Afar Regional State at Horto.
for the place is familiar for most tourists, scientists and researchers. Erta Ale is one of the main attractions of the Danakil, and had become a popular tour destination in recent years.
2. Lava lake
Erta Ale is one of the few volcanoes on the world that have an almost persistent lava lake. 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.
The volcano contains a 0.7 x 1.6 km elliptical summit crater with several steep-sided pit craters, one of them containing a lava lake. Another larger 1.8 x 3.1 km wide depression, elongated parallel to the trend of the Erta Ale range is located to the SE of the summit and is bounded by curvilinear fault scarps on the SE side.
Fresh-looking basaltic lava flows from these fissures have poured into the caldera and locally overflowed its rim. The summit caldera is renowned for one, or sometimes two long-term lava lakes that have been active since at least 1967, or possibly since 1906. Recent fissure eruptions have occurred on the northern flank of Erta Ale.
Lava lakes have been present since 1967, and possibly 1906, although the N lava lake became inactive between 1988 and 1992. Recent ground observations were reported in September and November 1992. Observations have also been made using satellite imagery. New observations were made during 6-11 December 1995
3. Geologic background
Erta Ale is an isolated basaltic shield that is the most active volcano in Ethiopia. Erta Ale is the namesake and most prominent feature of the Erta Ale Range. The volcano contains a 0.7 x 1.6 km, elliptical summit crater housing 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.
Fresh-looking basaltic lava flows from these fissures have poured into the caldera and locally overflowed its rim. The summit caldera is renowned for one, or sometimes two long-term lava lakes that have been active since at least 1967, or possibly since 1906. Recent fissure eruptions have occurred on the N flank.
4. Height
Erta Ale is 613 m high and 2,011 ft. and as typical for a shield volcano, it 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.
Erkeshan volcano in China has 416 m / 1365 ft, 48.06°N / 126.26°E. Two adjacent volcanic cones are located just NE of the city of Kedong in the Heilongjiang Province of far northeastern of China. Besides Ertale of Ethiopia, Mount Fuji, Japan with a conical form and pretty snow-capped peak and Eyjafjallajökull, one of Icelands many volcanoes are among the worlds active volcanoes, documents revealed.
The Ethiopian herald May 30, 2020
BY HIZKEL HAILU
