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Volcano in Ethiopia is releasing unusually large plumes of methane

Satellites have detected large volumes of methane spewing from Mount Fentale’s crater following months of earthquakes that have shaken the region

By James Dinneen

20 February 2025

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Satellite view of Mount Fentale in Ethiopia

Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025

A volcano in Ethiopia is spewing unusually large volumes of methane from its crater, according to satellite measurements of the potent greenhouse gas. This comes after hundreds of earthquakes have shaken the region over the past few months, prompting tens of thousands of people to evacuate ahead of a potential eruption.

A European Union satellite was the first to detect methane in the region around Mount Fentale, an active volcano in the Great Rift valley about 120 kilometres east of Ethiopia’s largest city, Addis Ababa. This…

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