Satellite images have captured the sudden awakening of Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted on Sunday for the first time in almost 10,000 years.
The eruption shot huge clouds of ash nearly 45,000 feet into the sky over the Afar region in northeast Ethiopia. These ash clouds then drifted across the Red Sea, reaching Yemen and Oman before moving over the Arabian Sea toward western and northern India.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ash clouds are now moving toward China and will completely clear India’s skies by 7:30 pm on Tuesday.
Scientists were surprised because this volcano had been silent throughout the entire Holocene period, meaning there are no records of it erupting for thousands of years. Images from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellite and updates from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center showed the ash spreading quickly over a large distance.
Volcanic ash reaches several Indian states
The volcanic plume reached several Indian states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Maharashtra, before moving toward the Himalayas, Nepal’s hilly regions, and eventually China.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that strong winds at high altitude carried the ash from Ethiopia across Yemen and Oman, and then into the Arabian Sea and India.
The ash cloud disrupted many flights across India on Monday, causing cancellations and diversions as authorities prioritised safety. The IMD and global volcanic ash centres kept a close watch on satellite data to guide air traffic and issue public warnings.
Limited ashfall but air quality concerns
Even though the ash spread widely, India saw very little ashfall on the ground. However, the plume contained sulphur dioxide and fine particles that raised air-quality concerns in some places.
According to IndiaMetSky Weather, the plume moving toward India is largely composed of sulphur dioxide, along with small to moderate amounts of volcanic ash. The cloud is travelling from the Oman-Arabian Sea region toward parts of north and central India.
The plume is not expected to affect air quality on the ground in India. However, it may raise sulphur dioxide levels over the hills of Nepal, the Himalayan region and parts of the Terai, as some of the ash could strike the mountains before drifting further towards China.