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Hertali

Fissure vent in Ethiopia

Key Facts

Elevation

900 m (2,953 ft)

Type

Fissure vent

Location

9.780°, 40.330°

Region

Main Ethiopian Rift Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

Hertali is a basaltic fissure vent that fed lava flows at the S end of the Awash plain, about 50 km NNE of Dofen volcano. It was considered by Mohr and Wood (1976) to have been active during the late Pleistocene to Holocene on the basis of its youthful-looking morphology.

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

    MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
    Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
    Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
    Recent ActivityUnknownHistoricalHistorically 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: 221171
    • Evidence: Evidence Credible
    • Epoch: Holocene

    About the Photo

    The dark-colored area cutting across the center of this NASA Landsat image (with north to the top) is a series of basaltic lava flows erupted from fissure vents at Hertali. These flows lie at the S end of the Awash Plain, about 50 km NNE of Dofen volcano. The youthful morphology of the flows suggests a late Pleistocene to Holocene age. Numerous NNE-SSW-trending fissures of the Ethiopian Rift are visible.

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

    Basic Information

    This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.