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Report on Langila (Papua New Guinea) — January 1994


Langila

Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 19, no. 1 (January 1994)
Managing Editor: Richard Wunderman.

Langila (Papua New Guinea) Intermittent eruptions produce moderate volumes of ash

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 1994. Report on Langila (Papua New Guinea) (Wunderman, R., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 19:1. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199401-252010



Langila

Papua New Guinea

5.525°S, 148.42°E; summit elev. 1330 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


"Both craters continued their spasmodic Vulcanian eruptions throughout January, generating moderate volumes of ash. Activity was stronger at Crater 3; explosions were heard intermittently and produced ash clouds rising a few hundred meters above the crater before being dispersed. In contrast, Crater 2 explosions were muffled and ash emission less frequent. Being the rainy season, the craters were covered by atmospheric clouds on most nights, but incandescent projections were seen at Crater 3 on 3 January. A steady red glow above Crater 2 was seen on 3 and 30 January. Seismic activity was relatively high, with up to 76 explosion events/day . . . ."

Geological Summary. Langila, one of the most active volcanoes of New Britain, consists of a group of four small overlapping composite basaltic-andesitic cones on the lower E flank of the extinct Talawe volcano in the Cape Gloucester area of NW New Britain. A rectangular, 2.5-km-long crater is breached widely to the SE; Langila was constructed NE of the breached crater of Talawe. An extensive lava field reaches the coast on the N and NE sides of Langila. Frequent mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions, sometimes accompanied by lava flows, have been recorded since the 19th century from three active craters at the summit. The youngest and smallest crater (no. 3 crater) was formed in 1960 and has a diameter of 150 m.

Information Contacts: D. Lolok and P. de Saint-Ours, RVO.