"Activity was steady at a low level throughout January, as it has been since mid-October 1990, and was essentially limited to Crater 2. Even though that crater maintained a weak red glow at night, emissions were limited to small volumes of white-greyish vapour and ash. Emissions from Crater 3 were very weak. Only one explosion earthquake was recorded during 11 days of seismic monitoring."

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: P. de Saint-Ours and C. McKee, RVO.