"Activity increased in March with Crater 3 becoming more active. Emissions from Crater 3 consisted of weak to moderate white-grey vapour and ash with occasional blue vapour. Weak to moderate explosion noises were frequently heard throughout the month. At night, weak to moderate red glow over the crater and occasional incandescent lava ejections were seen. A new lava flow on the cone's N flank began on 6 March and was still advancing at the end of the month. Emissions from Crater 2 consisted of low to moderate volumes of white-grey vapour and ash clouds. Thick black ash clouds were emitted towards the end of the month, resulting in ashfall on the SE side of the volcano. Rumbling and explosion noises associated with some of the emissions were heard throughout the month. Steady weak red crater glow was observed on clear nights, with incandescent lava ejections occurring on 21 and 22 March. Seismic activity was at a higher level than in January and February."

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: I. Itikarai, P. de Saint-Ours, and C. McKee, RVO; ICAO.