A sleeping volcano in Ethiopia bursts into life after 10,000 years

This children’s article, A Sleeping Volcano in Ethiopia Bursts Into Life After 10,000 Years, has been written for native English speakers and learners of English as a second or foreign language. It can help children practise reading and comprehension, learn useful vocabulary, and learn about how volcanoes can suddenly wake up. Written by Mark Pulley, a teacher and writer who creates fun and informative news articles for English learners.

A once-quiet mountain awakens

In a remote part of northeastern Ethiopia, a volcano called Hayli Gubbi suddenly erupted for the first time in thousands of years. Scientists believe it had been dormant for about 10,000 years. On Sunday morning, a tremendous blast rocked nearby villages and a huge cloud of ash shot into the sky.

People living near the volcano said it felt like “a bomb had gone off.” The sky turned grey with volcanic dust. Though no one was reported hurt, the eruption could be a serious problem for livestock herders, since grazing land may be covered in ash.

Ash travels far across the sky

The ash plume from Hayli Gubbi climbed very high, up to about 14 kilometres, according to meteorologists. Winds carried the volcanic dust across the Red Sea, over Yemen and Oman, and even into parts of Pakistan and India.

Because volcanic ash is dangerous for airplanes, some airlines cancelled or altered their flight paths. In India, for example, Air India cancelled several flights, and other carriers took extra safety measures. Aircraft engines are sensitive to ash, which can scratch glass, clog parts, or reduce visibility.

What scientists say

Geologists point out that Hayli Gubbi sits in a very active tectonic area, where giant plates of the Earth’s crust are slowly moving apart. This geological activity makes eruptions more likely, even if the volcano has not been active for millennia. Experts say the event is rare but not impossible, and that more monitoring might be needed.

High enough ash clouds can also affect satellites by interfering with their signals. Local and international agencies will now study how big the ash cloud is and how dense the ash particles are.

To learn more about what volcanoes erupt, you can read this article.

What happens next?

Volcanic ash in the air may hang around for several days or more, depending on weather conditions. Authorities are continuing to watch the region closely. Planes may avoid certain altitudes until the ash disperses. Meanwhile, local people may need help cleaning ash from homes and farmland.

This dramatic eruption is a reminder to us all that nature can surprise us. Even when a volcano has been silent for thousands of years, it can erupt at any moment!For more about volcanic eruptions and how ash can affect the environment and air travel, you can visit NASA’s volcano information page.

Article vocabulary list

• Volcano: A mountain that can erupt with lava, ash, and gas.
• Dormant: A volcano that has not erupted for a long time but is not extinct.
• Plume: A tall column or cloud, such as ash rising into the sky.
• Ash: Very fine particles of rock ejected by a volcano during an eruption.
• Tectonic plates: Huge pieces of Earth’s outer shell that slowly move and sometimes cause earthquakes or volcanoes.
• Meteorologist: A scientist who studies the weather and the atmosphere.
• Grazing: When animals eat grass over a large area of land.
• Satellite: A machine sent into space to observe the Earth or other planets.

Comprehension questions

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