Tair, Jebel at

Geography & Climate

Tair, Jebel at is located in Yemen, within the Red Sea Rift Volcanic Province of the broader Eastern Africa Volcanic Regions. Situated at 15.55° N, 41.83° E in the Northern Hemisphere, the volcano lies within a tropical climate zone. At just 244 meters above sea level, Tair, Jebel at is a relatively low-elevation volcanic feature. Despite its modest height, it remains an active geological formation with the same underlying magmatic processes as its taller counterparts. The volcanic landform is characterized as a composite, which describes the physical shape and structure of the volcanic edifice as observed from the surface.

Geological Context

Tair, Jebel at is situated along a rift zone, where tectonic plates are pulling apart. As the crust thins and fractures, magma rises to fill the gap, creating volcanic activity. Rift volcanism typically produces more fluid lava flows rather than explosive blasts, which means communities near Tair, Jebel at in Yemen generally face slower-moving hazards like lava flows and ground fissures rather than sudden pyroclastic events. However, rift volcanoes can still generate significant ash emissions and gas releases that affect local air quality. The dominant rock type is trachybasalt / tephrite basanite, a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock that forms from rapidly cooling, low-viscosity lava. Basaltic eruptions tend to be less explosive and produce fluid lava flows that can travel long distances. While less immediately dangerous than explosive eruptions, basaltic lava flows can destroy structures and infrastructure in their path, and volcanic gases released during these eruptions can affect air quality over a wide area.

Eruption History Summary

Tair, Jebel at has 5 recorded eruptions in the geological database, spanning from 1750 CE to 2007 CE. The most powerful recorded event was a severe eruption capable of regional ash fall and pyroclastic flows in 2007 CE, reaching VEI 3 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. This eruption frequency indicates a moderately active volcanic system with periodic reawakenings. With eruptive activity as recently as 2007 CE, Tair, Jebel at remains an actively monitored volcano.

Significance

With a maximum recorded VEI of 3, Tair, Jebel at has produced eruptions capable of generating pyroclastic flows and significant ash fall in the surrounding area. While not among the largest eruptions globally, VEI 3 events pose serious hazards to local populations and can disrupt regional air travel. With 5 recorded eruptions on file, Tair, Jebel at has enough documented activity to help scientists identify patterns in its eruptive behavior. Given its recent activity, Tair, Jebel at is closely monitored by geological survey organizations to provide early warning of future unrest.

GVP Reference Summary

The basaltic Jebel at Tair volcano rises from 1,200 m depth in the south-central Red Sea, forming an oval-shaped island about 3 km long. It is the northernmost known Holocene volcano in the Red Sea and lies SW of the Farisan Islands. Youthful basaltic pahoehoe lava flows from the steep-sided central vent, Jebel Duchan, cover most of the island, draping a circular cliff cut by wave erosion of an older edifice and extending beyond it to form a flat coastal plain. Pyroclastic cones are located along the NW and S coasts, and fumarolic activity occurs from two uneroded scoria cones at the summit. Radial fissures extend from the summit, some of which were the sources of lava flows. Explosive eruptions were reported in the 18th and 19th centuries, prior to an eruption in 2007-2008.

— Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program