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The Hayli Gubbi Eruption
❖ SYLLABUS: GS I
❖ SUBJECTS: Physical Geography
❖ SOURCE: Indian Express
Why is it in the News?
• Hayli Gubbi, a shield volcano located in Ethiopia’s remote Afar Region, recently erupted after remaining dormant for over 12,000 years.
• The event was unexpectedly explosive, sending massive ash plumes across the Indian Ocean and disrupting critical aviation routes in South Asia.
Geographical Location:
• Triple Junction: Hayli Gubbi is situated in the Afar Depression, a geological hotspot where three tectonic plates are peeling apart:
• Nubian Plate (African Plate).
• Somali Plate (African Plate).
• Arabian Plate. Tectonic Type: It is a Divergent Boundary (Rift Valley). The crust here is extremely thin, allowing magma to rise easily from the mantle.
The “Shield Volcano” Paradox
• Shield volcanoes (like in Hawaii) usually have Basaltic Magma (low silica, fluid). They erupt gently with lava flows.
• Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano, but it erupted explosively.
• Reason: During its 12,000-year dormancy, the magma chamber underwent “Fractional Crystallization.” The heavy minerals settled at the bottom, leaving Silica-rich magma (Trachyte/Rhyolite) at the top.
• Result: Silica-rich magma is thick (viscous) and traps gases (CO2, SO2). When the pressure broke the seal, it caused a blast instead of a flow.
Kīlauea is a currently active shield volcano in the
Hawaiian Islands
Significance
• Geological Evidence: The eruption reinforces that the East African Rift System (EARS) is
actively diverging. The Afar region, where this activity is centered, serves as the nascent site of a future ocean basin.
• Transnational Impact: The event underscores the transboundary nature of natural hazards. The fact that a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia disrupted aviation networks as far away as Delhi highlights the necessity of real- time global data integration.
About East African Rift System (EARS)
• The EARS is an active Continental Rift Zone in East Africa. It is a massive fracture in the Earth’s crust where the African continent is slowly splitting into two.
The Tectonic Split:
• The main African Plate (also called the Nubian Plate) is separating from the smaller Somali Plate.
• They are pulling away from each other at a rate of 6–7 mm per year.
• Extent: It stretches over 6,400 km from the Afar Triple Junction (Ethiopia) in the north down to Mozambique
in the south.
• Future Outcome: In roughly 10 million years, the Somali Plate will break off completely, and a new ocean (the New Ocean) will fill the gap, turning East Africa into a separate island continent (like Madagascar).
Q1. With reference to the making and celebration of the Constitution of India, consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution of India was adopted on November 26, 1949, but came into force on January 26, 1950, to
commemorate the Poorna Swaraj resolution of 1930.
2. The original Constitution was printed in both Hindi and English using modern printing presses in Delhi.
3. The illustrations in the original Constitution depict India’s cultural and historical journey, and the artwork was led by
artists from Shantiniketan.
4. Constitution Day, also known as Law Day, was first observed in 2015 to mark the 125th birth anniversary of
Jawaharlal Nehru.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 1, 3 and 4 only
d) 2 and 4 only
Prelims MCQ
Q2. With reference to the recent eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano and the East African Rift System (EARS), consider
the following statements:
1. Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano located in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, where the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian
tectonic plates diverge.
2. The explosive nature of the recent eruption was due to the presence of basaltic magma rich in iron and magnesium,
which caused high gas pressure.
3. The East African Rift System is a continental rift zone where the African continent is slowly splitting, and a new
ocean may eventually form in the rift.
4. Shield volcanoes typically erupt explosively due to high viscosity magma and significant gas trapping.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 3 and 4 only
Prelims MCQ
Q1. With reference to the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LuPEX), consider the following statements:
1. The mission will be launched using Japan’s H3-24L rocket because the combined payload exceeds the lifting capacity
of India’s LVM3.
2. ISRO is responsible for developing the rover, while JAXA is responsible for the lander and soft-landing technology.
3. The mission specifically targets permanently shadowed regions near the lunar south pole.
4. LuPEX is the same mission referred to in India as Chandrayaan-5.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Prelims MCQ
Correct Answer: (c) Only three
Previous class MCQ Answer
Q2. Consider the following statements regarding the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine agreement:
1. The reduced-price procurement deal for the R21 vaccine was enabled through an advance payment backed by IFFIm’s
Vaccine Bonds.
2. The R21 vaccine uses an mRNA platform similar to that of COVID-19 vaccines.
3. UNICEF was established in 1972 as part of the UN Development Programme to coordinate global child immunisation
efforts.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Prelims MCQ
Correct Answer: (a) 1 only
Q3. With reference to the Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), consider the following statements:
1. The Act introduced a graded system of categorising offences committed by children into petty, serious, and heinous,
allowing proportionate handling of cases.
2. The Juvenile Justice Board includes a Judicial Magistrate (not being a Chief Magistrate) and two social workers, at
least one of whom must be a woman.
3. The Act allows children aged between 16 and 18 years to be tried as adults for heinous offences, subject to a
preliminary assessment by the JJB.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Prelims MCQ
Correct Answer: d) 1, 2 and 3
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the newly-inducted Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water
Craft (ASW-SWC) of the Indian Navy:
1. These vessels are primarily designed for anti-submarine operations in shallow coastal waters, where larger warships
cannot maneuver effectively.
2. The class has been jointly developed by the Indian Navy and the Korean Coast Guard under a bilateral technology-
transfer agreement.
3. Each ship is equipped with indigenous sonar systems and lightweight torpedoes specifically suited for littoral ASW
operations.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Prelims MCQ
Correct Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only