Geological, Petrographic, and Structural Investigation of Gada’Ale Volcano and Surrounding Areas, Northern Afar Depression, Ethiopia

The geology, petrography, and structure of the Gada’Ale area has not yet been explored. This study presents a detailed geological, petrographic, and structural analysis of the Gada’Ale and surrounding areas in the northern Afar Depression, Ethiopia. The research highlights significant geological formations, including basaltic volcanic rocks, recent sediments, hydrothermally altered deposits, and evaporites. Petrographic results of this study indicate that the volcanic rocks exhibit aphanitic and vesicular textures, with average mineralogical proportions of ~ 51.75% plagioclase, ~ 26.5% clinopyroxene, ~ 7.5% olivine, and opaque minerals up to 13.5%). Additionally, this research explains the stratigraphic relationships among the rock units and the interplay between tectonism and magmatism in the study area. Using remote sensing data and field observations, we mapped the lithological units, and volcano-tectonic structures of the study area. Our findings reveal various volcanic and tectonic features, such as shield volcanoes, fractures and faults, a salt dome, a collapsed caldera, lava tubes, and maar volcanoes, emphasizing the interactions between magmatism and tectonism. Notably, the study identifies the prevalence of NNW-SSE trending extensional fractures that align with regional tectonic patterns (The Red Sea Rift Trend). This research enhances our understanding of the geological evolution of the Afar region and highlights the significance of ongoing geological activity in the Gada’Ale area for future studies of the region's geological evolution.