Alayta

Shield in Ethiopia

Last Eruption: 1915

Key Facts

Elevation

1,496 m (4,908 ft)

Type

Shield

Location

12.888°, 40.573°

Region

Afar Rift Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

The massive Alayta shield volcano covers an area of 2700 km2 in the western Danakil depression SW of Lake Afrera. A series of very recent craters is aligned along the NNW-trending axis of the basaltic-to-trachytic shield. The lava field, covered by very fresh flows, was erupted from N-S fissures along the east side of the shield volcano and laps up against the western flank of Afderà volcano.

Two historical eruptions that were formerly attributed to Afderà actually originated from Alayta. One of those eruptions, in 1907, produced a large lava flow from a SE-flank vent. Fumarolic activity occurs at two locations in the southern part of the complex.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Risk Level

Population at RiskModerate

Infrastructure RiskHigh

Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Silica Content

Low (45-52% SiO₂)

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone

Continental rift or intraplate setting with varied eruptive styles.

Age & Formation

Epoch

Holocene

Evidence

Eruption Observed

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

Metric	Value	Global Ranking	Significance
Total Recorded Eruptions	Unknown	Low	Moderately active volcano
Maximum VEI	VEI Unknown	Minor	Local impact potential
Recent Activity	111 years ago	Historical	Historically active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program

International eruption database

Current Status

Normal

No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Nearby Volcanoes in Eastern Africa Volcanic Regions

Regional Volcanic Activity

The Eastern Africa Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

Quick Info

•Smithsonian ID: 221112
•Evidence: Eruption Observed
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

Alayta shield volcano (left-center) covers an area of 2,700 km2 in the western Danakil depression. A series of recent craters is aligned along the NNW-trending axis. The Alayta lava field (center dark area) was erupted from N-S-trending fissures along the E side of the volcano and reaches the W flank of Afderà volcano, immediately S of Lake Guilietti (Lake Afrera) at the upper right-center.

NASA Landsat image, 1999 (courtesy of Hawaii Synergy Project, Univ. of Hawaii Institute of Geophysics & Planetology).