From the Volcanism Blog. Link includes a map of the SO2 plume that's worth a look for those of you who like to panic about SO2 in the atmosphere:
[link to volcanism.wordpress.com]
Eruption in Ethiopia - Erta Ale, or not? 6 November 2008
Posted by volcanism in Africa, Erta Ale, Ethiopia, activity reports, eruptions.
Tags: volcanic activity reports, eruptions, Africa, Erta Ale, Ethiopia
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The identification of Monday’s eruption in Ethiopia with Erta Ale may have been erroneous. An update on the eruption from Dr Simon Carn of Michigan Technological University via the VOLCANO listserv is circumspect:

Satellite instruments detected an eruption in northern Afar, Ethiopia on November 3. The eruption first manifested itself as a large sulfur dioxide (SO2) cloud drifting eastwards over the Arabian peninsula, detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). MODIS data from the University of Hawaii’s MODVOLC hot-spot monitoring tool ( [link to modis.higp.hawaii.edu] confirmed an extensive hot-spot (presumably lava flows) near Alu volcano, in the northern part of the Erta ‘Ale range. Details are still sketchy and these observations are as yet unconfirmed from the ground.

Ethiopian news sources are also rather round-about in identifying the location of the eruption. The official Ethiopian News Agency describes the eruption as occurring ‘at Ertale volcanic area of Afar State, north-east Ethiopia’, while the EthioBlog also speaks of ‘a volcanic explosion in Ethiopia’s remote north-eastern Afar region’.

Wherever the plume came from, it was indeed extensive. The image of the plume below from 5 November, put together from data gathered by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite, is from the NOAA’s currently experimental site displaying near real-time 24hr composite OMI SO2 information (thanks to Nickolay Krotkov for this link). The plume stretches across the Arabian Peninsula, the Gulf, and across Pakistan and northern India. The more red, the higher the concentration of sulphur dioxide.



The Activolcans report on the eruption settles for Alu, on the basis of the SO2 monitoring information from OMI and the hotspot report from the University of Hawaii. More on this eruption as news comes in. Erik Klemetti also has detailed coverage at the Eruptions blog.