Ale Bagu

Stratovolcano in Ethiopia

Key Facts

Elevation

988 m (3,241 ft)

Type

Stratovolcano

Location

13.512°, 40.631°

Region

Afar Rift Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

Ale Bagu, also known as Ummuna, is an elongated stratovolcano located SW of Erta Ale volcano. In contrast to other volcanoes of the Erta Ale Range, it is located SW of the axis of the range, and is mantled by basaltic pyroclastic rocks. Summit craters are elongated along a NNW-SSE trend.

The main crater is a steep-walled, 750 x 450 m depression occupied by a steep-sided lava cone that has fed trachytic lava flows over the crater floor. Silicic lavas from the axial regional fissure extend to the NW and SE.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Pyroclastic flows
Lava flows
Volcanic bombs and ballistics
Lahars and mudflows

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: 221090
•Evidence: Evidence Credible
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

The prominent peak near the center of this NASA Landsat image (with north to the top) is Ale Bagu, also known as Ummuna. This elongated stratovolcano is the highest of the Erta Ale Range volcanoes. The main crater is the 750 x 450 m feature prominent in this image. The light-colored Roram Plain lies at the lower left, and lava flows from Hayli Gubbi volcano are visible at the right.

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