Report on Langila (Papua New Guinea) — July 1991
Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, vol. 16, no. 7 (July 1991)
Managing Editor: Lindsay McClelland.
Langila (Papua New Guinea) Tephra emission and seismicity
Please cite this report as:
Global Volcanism Program, 1991. Report on Langila (Papua New Guinea) (McClelland, L., ed.). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, 16:7. Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199107-252010
Langila
Papua New Guinea
5.525°S, 148.42°E; summit elev. 1330 m
All times are local (unless otherwise noted)
"Activity of both craters remained moderately strong in July, as in June. Crater 3, which had resumed activity in mid-May, released white-to-grey vapor and ash clouds, and light ashfall occurred towards the NE of the volcano on the 6th and 8th. Occasional weak to loud explosions were heard throughout the month. Weak to bright red glow was observed on the 8th, 9th, 13th, and throughout the last week of the month.
"Activity at Crater 2 was characterized by the emission of moderate to thick pale grey ash clouds. Occasional loud to low explosions, some of which were accompanied by light ashfall, were heard during the second and last week of the month. Steady, weak night glow was visible throughout the second week and on the 22nd and 23rd.
"Seismicity remained high throughout the month, with the occurrence of explosion earthquakes and tremor. The daily number of Vulcanian explosions recorded by the summit station (LAN) reached a maximum of 40-60 between the 21st and 26th. Tremor, hardly noticeable in May, occurred almost daily in June-July (up to 100-200 minutes/day). Two types were recognized: high-frequency, discontinuous tremor periods, lasting 1-2 minutes; and lower-frequency harmonic tremor, continuous for periods of several (up to 10) minutes. The tremor became strong enough to be recorded at both the summit station (LAN) and the 9-km-distant CGA station."
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: C. McKee, RVO.
