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Balbi

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Volcanic Region
  • Landform | Volc Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  • 5.9156°S
  • 155.0008°E

  • 2,715 m
    8,907 ft

  • 255010
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

Most Recent Weekly Report: 30 April-6 May 2008 Citation IconCite this Report

Based on information from RVO, the Darwin VAAC reported that Balbi erupted on 7 May. Ash was not detected on satellite imagery. [Correction: RVO later confirmed that Balbi did not erupt on 7 May and attributed the reports to thunderstorm activity.]

Source: Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)


Most Recent Bulletin Report: August 1995 (BGVN 20:08) Citation IconCite this Report

Profuse steaming from the summit amphitheater

Aerial inspection was carried out on 22 August, after the 16 August, M 7.8 earthquake that struck 100 km to the W. The inspection revealed profuse white vapor coming from large-output fumaroles in the main fumarole field of the stratovolcano's summit amphitheater. In contrast, emissions at Crater B were moderate and from diffused sources.

Recent landslides were noted in two of the summit craters. The more extensive slides were on the W wall of Crater B. These landslides were thought to have been caused by shaking during the 16 August earthquake.

In general, the visible activity at Balbi appeared to be similar to that observed during previous inspections in the late 1980's. However, emissions may have been more voluminous in 1995.

Balbi marks the highest point on Bougainville Island, forming a summit composed of coalesced cones and lava domes and hosting a large solfatera field. Interviews with local inhabitants suggested that Balbi's last eruption took the lives of a number of people in about 1800-1850.

Information Contacts: Patrice de Saint-Ours and Ben Talai, RVO.

Weekly Reports - Index


2008: April


30 April-6 May 2008 Citation IconCite this Report

Based on information from RVO, the Darwin VAAC reported that Balbi erupted on 7 May. Ash was not detected on satellite imagery. [Correction: RVO later confirmed that Balbi did not erupt on 7 May and attributed the reports to thunderstorm activity.]

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.

10/1984 (SEAN 09:10) Boiling mud, active fumaroles and solfataras

07/1989 (SEAN 14:07) Summit fumarole field remains active

08/1995 (BGVN 20:08) Profuse steaming from the summit amphitheater




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


October 1984 (SEAN 09:10) Citation IconCite this Report

Boiling mud, active fumaroles and solfataras

Balbi, Bougainville's highest point, is in the N-central part of the island on the axial volcanic chain. In [what is possibly an eroded caldera at the summit of the composite cone, seven craters] lie on a N-S ridge about 3 km long. [There are also two cones about 2 km W of the line of craters.] Only Crater B, about 600 m in diameter and second from the S, shows activity. Anthropological evidence suggests an explosive eruption accompanied by nuées ardentes and fatalities, sometime between 1800 and 1850 [but recent geological work does not support this.]

"A boiling mud pool and up to a dozen large, very active fumaroles flanked the lineament of craters. Large collapses have occured into Crater B, and further extensive tension cracks were visible around the crater's rim. Many small solfataras were still active in the W wall of Crater B. The lake in Crater C had diminished in size." [Recent RVO investigations show that the fumaroles are aligned orthogonally to the 7-crater lineament and that the mud pool is no longer active.]

Information Contacts: K. McCue, Bougainville Copper Ltd., Panguna [with January 1988 additions from RVO].


July 1989 (SEAN 14:07) Citation IconCite this Report

Summit fumarole field remains active

"A brief aerial inspection of Balbi was made on the 27th. No changes were noted. Voluminous white emissions continued from the 1-km-long fumarole field in the NE part of the summit amphitheatre, and from sources in one of the summit craters (Crater B)."

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


August 1995 (BGVN 20:08) Citation IconCite this Report

Profuse steaming from the summit amphitheater

Aerial inspection was carried out on 22 August, after the 16 August, M 7.8 earthquake that struck 100 km to the W. The inspection revealed profuse white vapor coming from large-output fumaroles in the main fumarole field of the stratovolcano's summit amphitheater. In contrast, emissions at Crater B were moderate and from diffused sources.

Recent landslides were noted in two of the summit craters. The more extensive slides were on the W wall of Crater B. These landslides were thought to have been caused by shaking during the 16 August earthquake.

In general, the visible activity at Balbi appeared to be similar to that observed during previous inspections in the late 1980's. However, emissions may have been more voluminous in 1995.

Balbi marks the highest point on Bougainville Island, forming a summit composed of coalesced cones and lava domes and hosting a large solfatera field. Interviews with local inhabitants suggested that Balbi's last eruption took the lives of a number of people in about 1800-1850.

Information Contacts: Patrice de Saint-Ours and Ben Talai, RVO.

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 0 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

[ 1825 ± 25 years ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption Crater B ?
1825 ± 25 years - Unknown Evidence from Unknown

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Crater B ?

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
1825
(?)
   - - - - Fatalities
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Balbi.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Balbi.

Photo Gallery

Mount Balbi is seen here from the village of Wakunai, E of the volcano along the NE coast of Bougainville Island. Balbi is the largest volcano on the island and has a NW-SE-trending chain of vents.

Photo by Wally Johnson, 1987 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
Balbi volcano forms the highest point on Bougainville Island and is part of a large number of coalesced cones and lava domes. Five well-preserved craters occupy a NW-SE-trending ridge N of the summit, which also has a crater. Crater C, containing a small lake, is seen here from the E. A plume from a fumarole field on the W flank of 600-m-wide Crater B is visible to the left. The latest eruption may have been as recent as the mid-19th century.

Photo by Wally Johnson, 1987 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
Tore volcano is in the Emperor Range on NW Bougainville Island. The Tore massif lies to the left of Balbi volcano, which is the light-colored area at the center of the image. Two Pleistocene ignimbrites from Tore formed a broad fan that extends the coastline to the W (lower left). The dark-colored caldera lake of Billy Mitchell volcano is at the right, above a plume originating from Bagana volcano. N is to the upper left of this NASA image.

NASA International Space Station image ISS001-358-32, 2001 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/).
A series of craters have formed along a NW-SE-trending ridge on Balbi, seen in this January 2018 Planet Labs satellite image monthly mosaic (N is at the top; this image is approximately 15 km across). Part of the summit area is vegetation-free and geothermal activity continues.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2018 (https://www.planet.com/).
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 Balbi in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites