East Ziway

Fissure vent(s) in Ethiopia

Key Facts

Elevation

1,889 m (6,198 ft)

Type

Fissure vent(s)

Location

7.874°, 38.902°

Region

Main Ethiopian Rift Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

A large area of basaltic cinder cones and lava flows lies within about 5 km of the SE shore of Lake Ziway, and also forms islands along its E shore. About 80 vents were formed along the East Ziway segment of the Wonji Fault Belt. The youngest lava flows have been unaffected by the latest tectonic faulting along the Ethiopian Rift.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Risk Level

Population at RiskModerate

Infrastructure RiskModerate

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

Evidence Credible

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	Unknown	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: 221252
•Evidence: Evidence Credible
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

A large area of Holocene cinder cones and lava flows lies immediately east and south of Zway Lake (bottom) and forms islands along its eastern shore in this NASA Landsat mosaic (with north to the top). Faulting along the East Zway segment of the Wonji Fault Belt is seen cutting horizontally across the bottom of the image. The dark-colored Alutu volcanic complex lies the lower left. The 15 x 30 km wide Zway (also spelled Zwai, Zeway, or Ziway) lake occupies the central Ethiopian Rift.

NASA Landsat 7 image (worldwind.arc.nasa.gov)