Gaet’ale- a reactivated thermal spring and potential tourist hazard in the Asale salt flats, Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

Sharad Master

doi:10.1186/s13617-015-0042-x

Abstract

This paper serves to document a thermal spring, called Gaet’ale, that was reactivated in 2005, during the majorseismo-volcanic crisis in the Danakil Depression of the Afar region of northern Ethiopia. Many dead birds surrounding the spring attest to deadly gas emanations (almost certainly CO2) coming from this spring, reminiscent of those from other volcanic lakes, and the Pamukkale springs in Turkey. Gae’tale currently features among the tourist attractions of the Dallol region of the northern Afar, but it may pose a potentially dangerous, and even deadly, hazard for tourists and their guides. Some suggestions are made to help mitigate the risks, and to allow for sustainable geotourism in this environmentally sensitive region. These include ensuring that tour operators in the area are made aware of the hazards, and are communicating these to their tourist clients (who should also be aware of these hazards through websites, tour guidebooks and open-access scientific journals), and avoiding the areas closest to the lake, and periodic testing, with lit flames, for the presence of excess CO2 in the area, with plans for quick and safe evacuation if needed. Guidelines for proper conduct are given for geotourists who are planning to visit the region, to ensure their health and safety in the vicinity of the thermal springs.

Highlights

The Afar region of northern Ethiopia is one of the most tectonically active regions in the world, and is the site of abundant recent volcanic activity and seismicity (Wright et al 2006; Darrah et al 2012; Chernet 2013; Yirgu 2013).During the post-conference excursion to Afar (Kidane 2013), following the 24th Colloquium of African Geology in Addis Ababa (8–13 January 2013), the thermal springs around Dallol (Figs. 1 and 2) were visited by an international group of geoscientists and other researchers
Regional setting The Danakil Depression is located near the triple junction of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Ethiopian Rift, formed by the rifting away of Arabia from Africa in Oligocene times, at about 24 Ma ago (Kursten 1972; Beyene and Abdelsalam 2005)
The dead birds at Gaet’ale and Black Water were most probably killed by CO2 emanations, such as were observed coming out of the Dallol crater in the first week of January 2011 (Chernet 2013)

Summary

Introduction

The Afar region of northern Ethiopia is one of the most tectonically active regions in the world, and is the site of abundant recent volcanic activity and seismicity (Wright et al 2006; Darrah et al 2012; Chernet 2013; Yirgu 2013).During the post-conference excursion to Afar (Kidane 2013), following the 24th Colloquium of African Geology in Addis Ababa (8–13 January 2013), the thermal springs (or hotsprings) around Dallol (Figs. 1 and 2) were visited by an international group of geoscientists and other researchers. The Black Water and Gaet’ale springs are found erupting through the evaporites around the Dallol mound.

Results

Conclusion