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Lamington

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Volcanic Region
  • Landform | Volc Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  • 8.95°S
  • 148.15°E

  • 1,680 m
    5,512 ft

  • 253010
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

Most Recent Weekly Report: 24 April-30 April 2002 Citation IconCite this Report

Scientists from the Rabaul Volcano Observatory carried out a 4-day investigation at Lamington and concluded that there was no new volcanic activity. For the previous 3-4 weeks rumors had been circulating that Lamington was active, with reports of "fire" and "smoke" emanating from the volcano, felt earthquakes, and volcanic noises.

Source: Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO) via the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center


Most Recent Bulletin Report: May 2006 (BGVN 31:05) Citation IconCite this Report

Mild vapor emission and earthquakes through March 2006

Lamington has continued the trend of relative quiet during mid-January to the end of March 2006. Consistent reporting has been difficult due to overcast weather. Small volumes of thin white vapor were released during this time. No audible noises or glow were recorded. High frequency earthquakes continued to be recorded. The highest total was 25 recorded on 18 February.

Information Contacts: Ima Itikarai and Herman Patia, Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO), P.O. Box 386, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.

Weekly Reports - Index


2002: April


24 April-30 April 2002 Citation IconCite this Report

Scientists from the Rabaul Volcano Observatory carried out a 4-day investigation at Lamington and concluded that there was no new volcanic activity. For the previous 3-4 weeks rumors had been circulating that Lamington was active, with reports of "fire" and "smoke" emanating from the volcano, felt earthquakes, and volcanic noises.

Source: Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO) via the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center


17 April-23 April 2002 Citation IconCite this Report

The Darwin VAAC stated on 24 April that reports of an eruption at Lamington on 22 April were false. Based on information from Geoscience Australia and satellite imagery, the Darwin VAAC originally reported that an E-drifting ash cloud from Lamington seemed to be evident on satellite imagery on 22 April at 1741. Thunderstorms near the volcano made it difficult to locate possible ash on satellite imagery. On 23 April at 1135 a flight service reported that no volcanic activity was observed at Lamington. A team from the Rabaul Volcano Observatory is investigating rumors of activity at the volcano.

Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)


Bulletin Reports - Index

Reports are organized chronologically and indexed below by Month/Year (Publication Volume:Number), and include a one-line summary. Click on the index link or scroll down to read the reports.

11/1991 (BGVN 16:11) Long-term decline in thermal activity

06/2001 (BGVN 26:06) Big eruption's 50th anniversary passed amid continued slumber

01/2003 (BGVN 28:01) Rumors of volcanism in April 2002 were false

09/2003 (BGVN 28:09) High-frequency earthquakes began in early July

12/2003 (BGVN 28:12) Available observations suggest quiet prevails

05/2006 (BGVN 31:05) Mild vapor emission and earthquakes through March 2006




Information is preliminary and subject to change. All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


November 1991 (BGVN 16:11) Citation IconCite this Report

Long-term decline in thermal activity

"A brief aerial and ground inspection was carried out at the summit on 12 October. Most of the 1951 summit crater dome had a dense canopy of vegetation, broken only by a number of thermal areas scattered around the summit. Weak vapour emission was noted from fumaroles. Temperatures were measured in one of the larger thermal areas; the highest reading was 93°C. In 1973, the highest temperature recorded in the same thermal area was 362°C. This temperature decrease is consistent with the visual impression of declining activity. Seismic surveillance from a station near the summit was suspended in 1989; measurements in November revealed no volcanic seismicity."

Information Contacts: B. Talai and C. McKee, RVO.


June 2001 (BGVN 26:06) Citation IconCite this Report

Big eruption's 50th anniversary passed amid continued slumber

The instrumented, yet now-quiet Mount Lamington resides on the SE peninsula of the main island of Papua New Guinea. It lies roughly across that peninsula from the capital city of Port Moresby and 40 km inland from the Solomon Sea. Lamington's summit contains ragged peaks and a U-shaped crater open to the N. The volcano is ~21 km SSW of Popondetta Town, the provincial center for Oro Province. Lamington does not erupt frequently like Manam and Ulawun, but had a single historical eruption of such magnitude that, if repeated, could be catastrophic for the more than 30,000 people who live nearby.

About fifty years ago, on 21 January 1951, a major explosive eruption at Lamington killed ~3,000 people, the most of all historical volcanic eruptions in Papua New Guinea. Before the 1951 eruption, Lamington was not known to be a volcano. The group of mountains where the volcano stands was covered in thick jungle and there were no stories to suggest that eruptions had occurred before. As documented in a classic study by Taylor (1958), the paroxysmal eruption was not a sudden happening, but had begun several days earlier when nearby residents started to see changes in the summit area. The pyroclastic flow from the eruption devastated an area of ~200 km2, forming a radial pattern around the volcano that extended slightly farther on the N side. Two photos illustrating aspects of the eruption appear in figures 1 and 2. One of the hallmarks of Taylor's study was his well-developed timelines that clearly stated the sequence of events.

Figure (see Caption) Figure 1. In an area devastated by a Lamington nuée ardente (pyroclastic flow) on 21 January 1951; this motor vehicle was left suspended in two truncated trees. The person shown for scale is staff member Leslie ToPue, who worked at RVO until 1992. The spot shown lies on the N flank, 9-10 km from the summit dome (in the N end of the settlement of Higaturu), an area directly in front of the summit crater's prominent opening. This photo is cropped from one included in Taylor (1958, 1983) as his figure 69 (page 56). Courtesy of RVO.
Figure (see Caption) Figure 2. Photograph of Lamington taken on 8 February 1951 looking northward into the summit crater's prominent opening and onto the adjacent area immediately downslope of the crater, called Avalanche Valley. The crater contains the steaming dome that grew after the paroxysmal eruption. The mid- to fore-ground shows the ash-mantled NNE slopes (the subject of most of this part of the photo) and mudflow deposits (dark zones, sweeping across limited areas in the right center). This photo came from Taylor (1958, 1983 figure 118 on page 84).

Hastily arranged monitoring commenced immediately after the 1951 eruption but only operated during the active phase of the eruption. A more permanent monitoring program began in 1970 with the installation of a seismograph. In October 1996, a modern seismic station and an electronic tiltmeter were installed on Lamington.

Currently RVO has permanent, smaller observatories at Lamington, as well as at Ulawun, Langila, Karkar, Manam, and Esa'ala. Each is equipped with a recording seismograph. In addition, the stations at Lamington, Ulawun, Karkar, and Manam contain real-time high-frequency data-transmission systems that allow RVO volcanologists to remotely monitor those sites.

Since the 1951 eruption, seismic activity has been absent to rare. Seismic records on 21 December 2000 and 17 February 2001 showed several hours of very high seismicity, but it was difficult to ascertain the cause.

Reference. Taylor, G.A.M., 1958 (2nd ed., 1983), The 1951 eruption of Mount Lamington, Papua: BMR (Australia) Bulletin 38, Australian Government publishing service, Canberra (ISBN 0 644 01969 7; ISSN 0084-7089).

Information Contacts: Ima Itikarai, Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO), P.O. Box 386, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.


January 2003 (BGVN 28:01) Citation IconCite this Report

Rumors of volcanism in April 2002 were false

During most of April 2002, residents of Popondetta Town, ~21 km NNE of Lamington, and villages near the volcano were besieged by rumors of the volcano showing signs of renewed activity. Later investigations found no evidence of volcanism. Some of the rumors included fire and "smoke" from the volcano, felt earthquakes, and noises. As a result of the rumors, a couple of schools closed, some residents buried their belongings for safekeeping, and others prepared to evacuate. At the time it was difficult for the Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO) to confirm or deny the reports because the monitoring equipment for Lamington had not been operating since October 2001.

Based on information from Geoscience Australia and satellite imagery, the Darwin VAAC reported that an E-drifting ash cloud from Lamington seemed to be evident on satellite imagery on 22 April at 1711. The height of the cloud was not known due to thunderstorms in the area making it difficult to detect ash. However, on 23 April at 1105 a flight service reported that no volcanic activity was evident at Lamington. By 26 April Darwin VAAC had concluded that the suspicious cloud was not related to volcanism.

Investigations by the Geological Survey of PNG (RVO and PMGO) of the Department of Mining were carried out during 21-25 April (courtesy of funding from AusAID). On 28 April 2002, RVO reported that, after 3-4 weeks of rumor and speculation suggesting Lamington was showing signs of renewed volcanic activity, none had occurred. Monitoring equipment was restored during the trip, and seismic recordings during those few days showed no seismicity. A very brief aerial inspection of the summit area showed no concrete evidence of renewed volcanic activity. There were no changes in the topographical features or vegetation to indicate recent activity. Small amounts of vapor were being emitted from a few fumarole locations, but that activity was not a new development. There have been no additional reports of unusual activity or increased seismicity through February 2003.

Information Contacts: Ima Itikarai, Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO), P.O. Box 386, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.


September 2003 (BGVN 28:09) Citation IconCite this Report

High-frequency earthquakes began in early July

The Rabaul Volcanological Observatory reported that Lamington remained quiet over the period 25 June-9 October 2003. Vapor emissions were difficult to observe because of the distance to the observation point, but on a few clear days very small volumes of thin white vapor were seen in the summit area. The report also noted that high-frequency volcano-tectonic-like earthquakes began in early July at a rate of up to five events per day and continued into early October. This is the first time since the seismic station was re-established in 1997 that these types of earthquakes have been recorded in significant numbers over a short period of time.

Information Contacts: Ima Itikarai, Rabaul Volcanological Observatory, P.O. Box 386, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.


December 2003 (BGVN 28:12) Citation IconCite this Report

Available observations suggest quiet prevails

Lamington remained quiet during 10 October-14 December 2003. Cloud cover over the summit area made visual observations difficult, and the earthquake recorder did not function due to technical problems. Although it was difficult to make a reliable prognosis based on very limited data and information, Rabaul Volcano Observatory expected Lamington to remain quiet.

Information Contacts: Ima Itikarai, Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO), P.O. Box 386, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.


May 2006 (BGVN 31:05) Citation IconCite this Report

Mild vapor emission and earthquakes through March 2006

Lamington has continued the trend of relative quiet during mid-January to the end of March 2006. Consistent reporting has been difficult due to overcast weather. Small volumes of thin white vapor were released during this time. No audible noises or glow were recorded. High frequency earthquakes continued to be recorded. The highest total was 25 recorded on 18 February.

Information Contacts: Ima Itikarai and Herman Patia, Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO), P.O. Box 386, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 3 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

1951 Jan 17 - 1956 Jul 2 ± 182 days Confirmed Eruption VEI: 4

Episode 1 | Eruption
1951 Jan 17 - 1956 Jul 2 ± 182 days Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 21 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Seismicity (volcanic) Before eruption.
   - - - -    - - - - Seismicity (volcanic)
   - - - -    - - - - Seismicity (volcanic) After eruption.
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lava dome
   - - - -    - - - - Lava spine
   - - - -    - - - - Avalanche
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Bombs
   - - - -    - - - - Flames
   - - - -    - - - - Audible Sounds
   - - - -    - - - - Lightning
   - - - -    - - - - Deformation (undefined)
   - - - -    - - - - Lahar or Mudflow
   - - - -    - - - - Property Damage
   - - - -    - - - - Evacuations
1951 Jan 17    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)
1951 Jan 21    - - - - Fatalities
1951 Jan 21    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

4850 BCE ± 300 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Dea Ash
4850 BCE ± 300 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Dea Ash

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash

5980 BCE ± 300 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Owalama Ash
5980 BCE ± 300 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Owalama Ash

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Lamington.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Lamington.

Photo Gallery

The Hydrographers Range, seen here from the W, is a forested, deeply dissected volcanic massif extending from the E margin of Mount Lamington (lower right) to the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. Most activity took place during the Pleistocene, but well-preserved scoria cones and craters suggest that some Holocene activity occurred. This 1947 photo was taken prior to Lamington's catastrophic eruption in 1951.

Photo by Royal Australian Air Force, 1947 (published in Taylor, 1958).
Members of a scientific team approach the crater of Mount Lamington through the avalanche valley on 11 February 1951. Explosions occurred from a vent behind the new lava dome growing in the summit crater produce gas and ash plumes. Growth of the lava dome began soon after the catastrophic 21 January explosive eruption. At the time of this photo, the smooth-surfaced lava dome was uplifting the floor of the new crater. The dome eventually grew to the height of the crater rim.

Photo by Tony Taylor, 1951 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
This photograph of the catastrophic eruption of 21 January 1951 was taken by the pilot flying from Port Moresby to Rabaul. From about 40 km NW, the pilot observed this ash plume rising to a height of about 13 km within two minutes. Shortly afterwards, the cloud expanded horizontally away from the volcano as devastating pyroclastic flows and surges swept radially up to 12 km from the crater.

Photo by Capt. Jacobson, 1951 (published in Taylor, 1958).
On 19 August 1951 this large lava spine towered about 130 m above the surface of the growing lava dome. Growth of the spine had ceased at about this time. Extrusion and destruction of lava spines occurred frequently during the five-year long period of lava dome growth.

Photo by Tony Taylor, 1951 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
The vehicle to the right was suspended 3 m above the ground between the tops of two broken trees by the devastating pyroclastic surges of the 21 January 1951 eruption of Mount Lamington. The vehicle was located in the village of Higaturu, 10 km N of the volcano. Velocities of the pyroclastic surges were estimated to be in excess of 120 km per hour. The high-temperature surges destroyed the village, removing houses from their foundations and demolishing a steel-framed hospital building.

Photo by Tony Taylor, 1951 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
The first historical eruption of Lamington was in 1951, prior to which it was not known to be a volcano by those living on its flanks. Following continuous light ash emission beginning on 17 January the paroxysmal eruption on 21 January produced pyroclastic flows and surges that swept all sides of the volcano to a maximum distance of 12 km to the north, killing nearly 3,000 people. This 5 February photo shows the devastated northern flanks and a plume rising from a growing lava dome in the new crater. Slow dome growth ended in 1956.

Photo by Tony Taylor, 1951 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
Mount Lamington, seen here from the north in late 1951, has a 1.3-km-wide summit crater containing a lava dome. Prior to its disastrous eruption in 1951, the forested peak had not been recognized as a volcano. The 1951 eruption produced pyroclastic flows and surges that devastated all sides of the volcano, killing nearly 3,000 people. The eruption concluded with growth of a 560-m-high lava dome in the summit crater.

Photo by Tony Taylor, 1951 (courtesy of Wally Johnson, Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
Australian volcanologist Tony Taylor in front of Mount Lamington, which is erupting in the distance on 5 February 1951. Taylor investigated the activity at Lamington through the course of the eruption.

Photo courtesy of Wally Johnson, 1951 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
Nearly three decades after its catastrophic eruption in 1951, Mount Lamington is mantled with dense vegetation. This aerial view from the south shows the rounded summit lava dome (center) that was emplaced during 1951-56 in a horseshoe-shaped crater breached to the north. The arcuate ridge in the foreground and the sharp peak at the right mark the rim of 1951 crater.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1979.
GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Lamington in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites