"A new crater was formed on the flank of Crater 3 on 19 January. Moderately thick brown/grey ash was explosively ejected until 20 January. Weak-moderate ash emissions resumed 24 January and continued intermittently until 29 January. Incandescence and rumbling were observed 28 January.

"During an overflight 28 January a brown-coloured deposit was observed extending up to 600 m from the new vent. Seismic activity consisted of numerous discrete volcanic events and possibly periods of tremor."

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: B. Scott and C. McKee, RVO.