"During February the activity continued to be focused at Crater 2, at an intensity similar to that observed in January. However, seismicity increased in the second half of February. Emissions at Crater 2 consisted of pale-grey vapour and ash clouds in low-moderate volumes. Occasionally there were ashfalls on the lower flanks of the volcano. Explosions and rumbling sounds associated with the emissions were heard throughout the month. When the summit was free of cloud at night, a steady weak glow was seen above the crater. Activity at Crater 3 was mostly confined to weak emissions of white and blue vapours. However, there was a large explosion on 11 February that produced an emission cloud ~1 km high. Seismicity was steady at a low level in the first half of the month but then began to increase. By the end of the month seismicity had reached the level recorded in January (up to 17 low-frequency earthquakes per day)."

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.