Powerful vent opens at Dofan volcano as seismic crisis hits Afar region, Ethiopia
A new vent opened at Dofan volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, releasing powerful jets of steam, rocks, and mud on January 3, 2025. The development comes during a series of earthquakes recorded in the region since December 22 and raised concerns about a potential volcanic eruption — which would be the first on record.
New vent opens at Dofan volcano, Ethiopia on January 3, 2025. Image credit: Fana Broadcasting Corporate S.C.
A powerful vent emerged at Dofan volcano, located in the Dulecha district of Ethiopia’s Afar region, on January 3, 2025. The vent is releasing a mix of gas, rocks, and mud, suggesting an escalation in the ongoing volcanic and seismic crisis in the area. This volcano is also known as Dofen.
The activity is believed to be linked to magma intrusion beneath the surface which is a phenomenon suspected to have caused the ongoing seismic swarm.
The new vent is emitting what appears to be hydrothermal or phreatic explosive activity where groundwater heated by magma rapidly turns to steam.
Videos captured at the site show jets of steam escaping from a crack in the ground. It remains unclear whether this vent existed before the vent or formed recently because of increased seismic activity.
“It has erupted frequently from fissures parallel to the rift axis and produced young lava flows and rows of cinder cones. Similar to Fentale volcano to the south, which earlier was the main suspect of the seismic crisis, it would be indeed not entirely surprising if the volcanic activity takes place at Dofan,” volcanologist Tom Pfeiffer noted.
The seismic activity began on December 22, 2024, and included numerous shallow earthquakes with magnitude reaching up to 5.1. The epicenters are located near the Dofan volcano making it a prime suspect in this geological unrest.
The largest earthquake measuring M5.1 occurred at 22:20 UTC on December 29, 2024. Its epicenter was approximately 46 km (28 miles) north of Metahara and 119 km (74 miles) northeast of Nazret at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
“Over the past few days, seismic activity in the Awash area has picked up significantly. The real number of quakes is unknown as there is no seismic network (or at least no publicly available) covering the area, and only the largest events can be identified on global networks,” Pfeiffer commented.
The Dofan volcano stands at 1 151 m (3 776 feet) above sea level (a.s.l.) and lies within the northern section of the Main Ethiopian Rift. It is known as the “smoking mountain,” and features numerous cinder cones along a 10 km (6.2 miles) north-south rift line.
The area around Dofan has displayed fumarolic activity with large amounts of sulfur deposits observed on its southern flank in history.
The potential for an eruption at Dofan shows what could be its first recorded eruption in history. Geological records suggest the volcano has produced young lava flows and extensive cinder cones during the Holocene epoch.
There are about 1 900 people living within 5 km (3 miles) of Dofan volcano, 12 450 within 10 km (6 miles), and 54 930 within 30 km (19 miles).
The current crisis mirrors conditions previously seen in the nearby Fentale volcano, located 50 km (31 miles) SSE of Dofan, which was initially suspected to be the source of the seismic swarm.
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Residents in nearby towns such as Metahara (population: 23 400) and Awash (with population of 11 400) reported feeling tremors throughout the night. Authorities have advised caution and readiness for potential evacuations with over 2.9 million people residing within a 100 km (62 miles) radius of Dofan.
The Dofan volcano’s activity is part of the larger East African Rift System which is a tectonically active zone spanning over 3 000 km (1 864 miles). The region is shaped by the divergence of the Nubian and Somali tectonic plates by creating a hotspot for volcanic and seismic activity.
References:
1 Dofen mountain (Afar region, Ethiopia): volcano in the area of ongoing quakes starts erupting jets of steam and mud – By Tom Pfeiffer – VolcanoDiscovery – January 3, 2025
3 Strong earthquakes near Fentale volcano spark eruption concerns, Ethiopia – The Watchers – December 30, 2024
2 Dofan – GVP – Accessed on January 3, 2025
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.
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