Global Volcanism Program | Harra of Arhab

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Harra of Arhab.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Harra of Arhab.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Harra of Arhab.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Synonyms

Sana'a Volcanic FIeld | Sana'a-Amran Volcanic Field

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Hamudi, Jabal al

Stratovolcano

Kaulet Hattab
Hattab, Jabal

Tuff cone

2644 m

15° 37' 1" N

44° 4' 53" E

Marhah, Jabal al
el-Marha, Jebel

Cone

2509 m

15° 14' 39" N

44° 14' 11" E

Zebib, Jabal

Tuff cone

2638 m

15° 35' 24" N

44° 6' 51" E

Zin, Jabal

Stratovolcano

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Beni Maimun

Crater

Beni Zubeir

Crater

Chubbe, Jabal

Crater

Dagan, Jabal

Crater

Dhin, Jabal

Crater

3100 m

Djerban

Crater

Kaulet el-Hauri

Crater

Medam, Jabal

Crater

Qol, Jabal

Crater

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

231090

500 CE

3,100 m / 10,171 ft

15.6025°N
44.0978°E

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Cluster

Volcano Types
Volcanic field

Rock Types

Major
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Minor
Trachyandesite / Basaltic Trachyandesite

Tectonic Setting

Intraplate
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

284,443
284,443
820,695
6,517,834

Geological Summary

The Quaternary Harra of Arhab in Yemen, north of the capital city of Sana'a, consists of a 1,500 km² basaltic plateau capped by a few small stratovolcanoes and about 60 scoria cones, two of which have erupted in historical time. Cones in the volcanic field (also known as the Sana'a or the Sana'a-Amran volcanic field) are commonly aligned along a NNW trend above a 100-250-m-thick volcanic plateau. Pliocene-to-Holocene volcanic rocks have a dominantly basaltic-to-hawaiitic composition and overlie the northern end of an area of extensive Oligocene-Miocene basaltic-to-rhyolitic rocks that extends to the SW tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Baker et al. (1997) include outcrops of Quaternary volcanism south of the main area of lava flows, such as Jabal al Marha, as part of this system, but note that they can be difficult to distinguish from Oligocene flood basalts. The latest eruption took place between about 400 and 600 CE and produced a lava flow that traveled 9 km.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Baker J A, Menzies M A, Thirlwall M F, Macpherson C G, 1997. Petrogenesis of Quaternary intraplate volcanism, Sana'a, Yemen: implications for plume-lithosphere interaction and polybaric melt hybridization. J Petr, 38: 1359-1390.

Davison I, Al-Kadasi M, Al-Khirbash S, Al-Subbary A K, Baker J, Blakey S, Bosence D, Dart C, Heaton R, McClay K, Menzies M, Nichols G, Owen L, Yelland A, 1994. Geological evolution of the southeastern Red Sea Rift margin, Republic of Yemen. Geol Soc Amer Bull, 106: 1474-1493.

Neumann van Padang M, 1963. Arabia and the Indian Ocean. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields, Rome: IAVCEI, 16: 1-64.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 2 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

0500 ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

South flank of Kaulet Hattab

0500 ± 100 years - Unknown

Evidence from Observations: Reported

A lava flow probably originating from the south foot of the Kaulet Hattab tuff cone flowed 9 km S during about 400-600 CE (von Wissmann in Neumann van Padang, 1963).

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at South flank of Kaulet Hattab

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Property Damage
0500 ± 100 years	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

0200 (after) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption

East flank of Jabal Zebib

0200 (after) - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Anthropology

Excavations of a temple still in use in 200 CE revealed that it was probably burnt by a lava flow from a crater on the E flank of Jabal Zebib. Ruins of another large temple, possibly buried by the lava flow, were not found. Fresh-looking lapilli and bombs are found in the area (von Wissmann in Neumann van Padang, 1963).

List of 6 Events for Episode 1 at East flank of Jabal Zebib

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Lapilli
- - - -	- - - -	Bombs
- - - -	- - - -	Property Damage
0200 (after)	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Harra of Arhab.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Harra of Arhab.

Photo Gallery

Part of the 1,500 km² Harra of Arhab volcanic field is shown in this December 2019 Planet Labs satellite image monthly mosaic (N is at the top; this image is approximately 20 km across). Lava flows from recent eruptions of Kaulet Hattab and Jabal Zebib cones are darker, with the later producing the nearly 9-km-long lava flow to the south. Many of the scoria cones underwent flank collapse or rafting during eruptions and have horseshoe-shaped craters as a result.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2019 (https://www.planet.com/).

The 1,500 km² Harra of Arhab volcanic field is shown down the center of this December 2019 Planet Labs satellite image monthly mosaic (N is at the top; this image is approximately 76 km across). Approximately 60 cones are throughout the field; recent, darker lava flows are visible near the center of this image.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2019 (https://www.planet.com/).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Harra of Arhab in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Harra of Arhab. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Harra of Arhab. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Harra of Arhab

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).