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Report on Langila (Papua New Guinea) — November 1993


Langila

Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 18, no. 11 (November 1993)
Managing Editor: Richard Wunderman.

Langila (Papua New Guinea) Eruptive activity continues at moderate level

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 1993. Report on Langila (Papua New Guinea) (Wunderman, R., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 18:11. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199311-252010



Langila

Papua New Guinea

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

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


[Volcanism] continued during November at more moderate levels. Activity from Crater 2 consisted of moderate Vulcanian explosions accompanied by loud detonations. Some of these ash-laden emissions rose several hundred metres above the crater rim producing light ashfalls on the N and NW sides of the volcano. Steady weak red glow from Crater 2 was observed on 15, 21, 22, and 23 November. In the first week of November, Crater 3 activity consisted of weak-to-moderate Strombolian explosions and weak lava effusion. After the 7th, the activity changed to Vulcanian explosions only, accompanied by weak-to-loud detonations. Seismicity showed a moderate level of activity with 1-46 recorded 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: I. Itikarai, and C. McKee, RVO.