Transcript Ethiopia’s “Smoking Mountain” and “Gateway to Hell” Sarah Shoer and Anahita Valakche Department of Geology, Colby College.

Ethiopia’s “Smoking Mountain” and “Gateway
to Hell”
Sarah Shoer and Anahita
Valakche
Department of Geology, Colby
College
Geographic Location
• 13°36′N 40°40′E
• Northeastern Ethiopia
• Afar Triangle
(Depression)
• Danakil Desert
– “The most cruel
place on Earth”
(National
Geographic)
Tectonic Setting
• Afar Triple Junction
– Afro-Arabian Rift
System
• Part of East African
Rift
–Spreading axis
with mantle
plume
Form & Dimensions
• 613 meters tall
• Continuously active basaltic shield volcano
• Summit caldera (1.6 km x 0.7 km) with two
pit craters–named North and South Crater
• Two lava lakes
– One of only 6 volcanoes in the world with active
lava lakes
• Why are they so rare?
– Both lakes have undergone fluctuation
Eruptive History
• 7 (possible) eruptions in last 125 years
– 1873, 1903, 1940, 1960, 1967, 2005, & 2007
• 2005: 250 livestock killed following a quake that
triggered eruption
• 2007: eruption killed 5 people
• Evidence of explosive eruptions (VEI 2)
– What are the factors that contribute to limited
data/records?
• Hazards: fluid, fast moving lava
Rocks & Deposits
• Basalt and andesitic rocks
• Mineralogy: plagioclase and olivine
• Deposits:
Fumarolic deposit on North
crater
Sulphur stalagtites in
fumarole on N rim of
caldera
Pele’s hair near S crater
due to frequent lava
fountains
Other Interesting Information
• 1998-2001: Danakil Desert
was off-limits to tourists and
foreign researchers!
• Now: tourists can go within
4.3 miles of Erta Ale (despite
conditions…)
• 2012: 5 scientists/tourists
killed
– Afar Revolutionary Democratic
Unity Front responsible
(ARDUF)
Monitoring
Eruptions monitored:
– 1.) by their sulfur dioxide plumes
– 2.) by the lava lakes via satellite
– 3.) or by reports from the (few) locals who live near
the volcano
Bibliography
Colin's Notes, I traP noisserpeD likanaD ehT :2012at http://www.colinsnotes.com/ /2012/12/07/557 (accessed January 2015 ,10)
Global Volcanism Program, elA atrE :2013at http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn= no dessecca)221080
January )2015 ,10
Finlayson, David, metsyS ftiR nacirfA tsaE eht fo erticetihcrA latsurC :2010at http://www.earthscrust.org.au/
science/transects/east-africa_ dessecca) lmth.2 on January )2015 ,10
Klemetti, Erik, elA atrE :elfiorP onacloV :2010at http://bigthink.com/eruptions/volcano-profile-erta-ale
(accessed on January
)2015 ,10
Roscoe, Richard, onacloV elA atrE :2009at http://www.photovolcanica.com/VolcanoInfo/Erta%20Ale/Erta
%20Ale.html
)2015 ,10 yraunaJ dessecca)
Société Volcanologique Européenne, aipoihtE ,onacloV elA atrE :2005at http://www.sveurop.org/gb/articles/ articles/ErtaAle.htm
(accessed January )2015 ,10
Volcanic Hazards Documentation and Logistic Research, 2014: Hot Spot Danakil at http://www.v-e-i.de/vhdl/project/ ertaale.html
(accessed January )10 2015