Kurub

Shield in Ethiopia

Key Facts

Elevation

625 m (2,051 ft)

Type

Shield

Location

11.880°, 41.208°

Region

Afar Rift Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

The small Holocene shield volcano, also known as Kurub Koma, Kurub Koba, or Curub, lies in the Saha Plain, SE of the Manda Hararo complex in the South Danakil region. The easternmost lava flow was potassium-argon dated at about 0. 3 million years.

Wind-blown sand fills the summit crater of the very recent basaltic volcano. Initial subaqueous activity occurred along NNW-trending fissures. Fumarolic activity observed in the 1930s was not seen during field work in the 1970s.

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: 221120
•Evidence: Evidence Credible
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

The dark-colored circular area in the center of this Landsat image is the small Holocene Kurub shield volcano. Kurub lies in the Saha Plain, SE of the Manda Hararo complex, the southern margin of which is visible at the far left. Initial subaqueous activity occurred along NNW-trending fissures cutting the basaltic volcano. Fumarolic activity observed in the 1930s was not seen during field work in the 1970s.

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