Situation Update No. 5
Posted:2011-06-13, 03:15:47 [UTC]
Ref.no.: VE-20110613-31121-ERI
Situation Update No. 5
On 2011-06-14 at 03:23:11 [UTC]
Event: Volcano Eruption
Location: Eritrea Eritrea-Ethiopia regions Anabro (Nabro) volcano
Situation: A number of flights in eastern Africa are facing disruption after a volcano erupted in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea on early Monday morning, officials said. It is the first eruption in recent history. The eruption at the Nabro volcano began at around midnight local time on Monday (2100 GMT Sunday), according to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in Toulouse. It sent a large plume of ash up to 13 kilometers (8 miles) high. There were no immediate reports of casualties as a result of the eruption, according to the country's Ministry of Information, which said the explosive eruption could be heard throughout the region. A statement from the ministry said local residents have been evacuated. VAAC forecaster Thoumieux said the ash cloud is moving towards the west and high concentrations of ash were spread over parts of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Sudan by Monday evening. Low density concentrations of volcanic ash were also detected over a small part of Egypt. Thoumieux said he had briefed a number of airlines and other agencies about the ash cloud, which is expected to impact air traffic in the region. "I had conversations with the chief of operations of Dubai (Emirates), Air France, KLM, and so they want information and I say, perhaps it will be dangerous for your planes," the forecaster said.
The volcanic ash cloud is expected to remain over parts of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Sudan until at least early Tuesday morning. Low concentrations of volcanic ash are also expected to spread over a small part of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning, although those would unlikely impact air traffic. Lufthansa spokesman Marco Dall'Asta said the airline had canceled two routes on Monday because of the ash cloud. "We have very few destinations within this area," he said. "But we have canceled a flight from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to Asmara (Eritrea). This flight has been canceled for today. And we've also canceled a flight from Frankfurt to Addis Ababa, and that's all for the moment." The German airline said it did not yet know whether the flight disruptions would continue on Tuesday. "That's the news we have for today," he said. "We are in contact, observing the situation, in contact with the authorities, to figure out what's happening tomorrow." Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decided to cut short her trip to neighboring Ethiopia because of the eruption. The U.S. State Department said there was a risk that Ethiopian authorities would shut down the country's main airport in Addis Ababa on Monday evening, which would otherwise prevent Clinton from leaving.
The VAAC earlier believed that the Dubbi volcano was erupting, but the center said on late Monday evening that the eruption was in fact taking place at the Nabro volcano. There have been no confirmed eruptions at the volcano in recent history.
Info4 Volcanic eruptions
World Map of Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Impact Craters, and Plate Tectonics | ||
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This site supports and extends a 1x1.5 m wall map available through the "Order" link [above]. |
 | | The map is designed to show Earth's most prominent features when viewed from a distance, and more detailed features upon closer inspection. The back of the map zooms in further, highlighting examples of fundamental processes, while providing text, timelines, references, and other resources to enhance understanding of this dynamic planet. The main and polar maps, above, are interactive, inviting you to make your own regional map, using whichever "layers" you choose. Data for any volcano, earthquake, or impact symbol can be found via the "Identify" tool. |
Back of Map | ||
Most new crust forms at ocean ridge crests, is carried slowly away by plate movement, and is ultimately recycled deep into the earth�causing earthquakes and volcanism along the boundaries between moving tectonic plates. Oceans are continually opening (e.g., Red Sea, Atlantic) or closing (e.g., Mediterranean). Because continental crust is thicker and less dense than thinner, younger oceanic crust, most does not sink deep enough to be recycled, and remains largely preserved on land. Consequently, most continental bedrock is far older than the oldest oceanic bedrock (see back of map). The earthquakes and volcanoes that mark plate boundaries are clearly shown on this map, as are craters made by impacts of extraterrestrial objects that punctuate Earth's history, some causing catastrophic ecological changes. Over geologic time, continuing plate movements, together with relentless erosion and redeposition of material, mask or obliterate traces of earlier plate-tectonic or impact processes, making the older chapters of Earth's 4,500-million-year history increasingly difficult to read. The recent activity shown on this map provides only a present-day snapshot of Earth's long history, helping to illustrate how its present surface came to be. Both the front and back of this map illustrate the enormous recent growth in our knowledge of planet Earth. Yet, much remains unknown, particularly about the processes operating below the ever-shifting plates and the detailed geological history during all but the most recent stage of Earth's development. | ||
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Volcano
A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a reservoir of molten rock below the surface of the earth. Unlike most mountains, which are pushed up from below, volcanoes are built up by an accumulation of their own eruptive products. When pressure from gases within the molten rock becomes too great, an eruption occurs. Eruptions can be quiet or explosive. There may be lava flows, flattened landscapes, poisonous gases, and flying rock and ash.
Because of their intense heat, lava flows are great fire hazards. Lava flows destroy everything in their path, but most move slowly enough that people can move out of the way.
Fresh volcanic ash, made of pulverized rock, can be abrasive, acidic, gritty, gassy, and odorous. While not immediately dangerous to most adults, the acidic gas and ash can cause lung damage to small infants, to older adults, and to those suffering from severe respiratory illnesses. Volcanic ash also can damage machinery, including engines and electrical equipment. Ash accumulations mixed with water become heavy and can collapse roofs. Volcanic ash can affect people hundreds of miles away from the cone of a volcano.
Sideways directed volcanic explosions, known as "lateral blasts," can shoot large pieces of rock at very high speeds for several miles. These explosions can kill by impact, burial, or heat. They have been known to knock down entire forests.
Volcanic eruptions can be accompanied by other natural hazards, including earthquakes, mudflows and flash floods, rock falls and landslides, acid rain, fire, and (under special conditions) tsunamis.
Active volcanoes in the U.S. are found mainly in Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest. Active volcanoes of the Cascade Mountain Range in California, Oregon, and Washington have created problems recently. The danger area around a volcano covers approximately a 20-mile radius. Some danger may exist 100 miles or more from a volcano, leaving Montana and Wyoming at risk.
What is the history of volcanic eruptions where I live?
How can I protect myself from a volcanic eruption?
Find a Volcano by Region
Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program
| Mediterranean and W Asia | Africa and Red Sea | Middle East and Indian Ocean | New Zealand to Fiji | Melanesia and Australia | Indonesia | Philippines and SE Asia | Japan, Taiwan, Marianas | Kuril Islands | Kamchatka and Mainland Asia | Alaska | Canada and Western USA | Hawaii and Pacific Ocean | México and Central America | South America | West Indies | Iceland and Arctic Ocean | Atlantic Ocean | Antarctica |
All of the base maps in this section, for the world and volcanic regions, were generated using ER Mapper.
Citation Guidelines for this electronic version of Volcanoes of the World.
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