Ethiopian Volcano Erupts After 12,000 Years. A volcano in northern Ethiopia, which had been inactive for around 12,000 years, suddenly erupted on Sunday. The eruption sent large amounts of ash and dust into the sky. This volcanic plume has now travelled across continents and disrupted flights in India and the United Arab Emirates. No injuries or deaths were reported in Ethiopia. However, local officials in the Afar region, where the volcano is located, said they are worried about how the eruption will affect nearby communities and their livestock. According to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, this volcano had never erupted during the Holocene Era, which began at the end of the Ice Age about 12,000 years ago. Satellite images shared online show the eruption from space, with thick clouds of ash rising high and spreading east towards the Red Sea. Videos taken from the ground show huge towers of ash filling the sky and covering the horizon.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) reported that the ash plume reached a height of nearly 45,000 metres (148,000 feet). The ash drifted mainly in a northwesterly direction. There are growing concerns about air quality in nearby Ethiopian villages. By Monday night around 11 pm, the volcanic ash had moved towards India. By Tuesday, it had reached the skies above Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana, raising questions about its possible impact on weather and pollution levels in these regions.
