Mount Fentale

Mount Fentale Latest News

Mount Fentale volcano in Ethiopia is spewing unusually large volumes of methane from its crater, according to satellite measurements of the potent greenhouse gas.

About Mount Fentale

• It is a stratovolcano located in Awash National Park in the Oromia Region, Ethiopia. 
• It rises approximately 600 m from the floor of the Rift Valley, and the lavas of the volcano cover an oval area of approximately 100 sq km.
• An elliptical caldera, approximately 6 km in diameter, dominates the upper portion of the volcano. 
• Recent Earthquake Activity:
  • A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit under Fentale volcano on 14 February 2025. 
  • It is the strongest earthquake to strike Ethiopia since 1989. 

What is a Stratovolcano?

• The stratovolcano is a tall, steep, and cone-shaped type of volcano.
• Unlike flat shield volcanoes like in Hawaii, they have higher peaks.
• At the peak, stratovolcanoes usually have a small crater.
• Stratovolcanoes build up on height by layering lava, ash, and tephra. By definition, they have alternating layers of pyroclastics and lava.
• When ash falls or lava flows, it solidifies and makes a narrower cone.
• Stratovolcanoes comprise the largest percentage (~60%) of the Earth's individual volcanoes.
• Strato volcanoes are usually about half-half lava and pyroclastic material, and the layering of these products gives them their other common name of composite volcanoes.

Mount Fentale FAQs

Q1. What is a rift valley?

Ans. A rift valley is a lowland region that forms where Earth’s tectonic plates move apart, or rift.

Q2. What is a caldera?

Ans. A caldera is a large depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses.

Q3. What are pyroclastic materials?

Ans. Pyroclastic materials, also called tephra, are formed from cooling magma during explosive volcanic eruptions.

Source: IDR