"Langila was more active in February than it had been since February-March 1992, with strong, sub-continuous Vulcanian activity from Crater 2, and a few days of eruptive activity at Crater 3.

"Although the volcano was covered in atmospheric clouds for the first week of the month, strong explosion and rumbling sounds from 5 February onward suggested renewed activity. When visible (after the 8th), Crater 2 displayed a dark column of ash-laden vapour that was forcefully released, convoluting and rising ~1 km above the crater. At night on 12 February, incandescent ejecta were visible in the Vulcanian eruption cloud, with ballistic trajectories rising up to 500 m above the crater. The strength of the eruption seemed to decrease after the 12th, with only night glow or mild incandescent projections 15-18 February. During the remainder of the month, Crater 2 released a steady white-gray plume of ash-laden vapour.

"Activity at Crater 3 was mild for the first half of the month, with moderate or weak emission of thin white vapour. Discrete Vulcanian explosions resumed on 12 February. By the 15th, the plume was forcefully rising several hundred meters above the crater. The plume was accompanied by strong explosion sounds and incandescent projections of increasing strength 15-18 February (maximum 400 m above crater). This activity decreased by the next day, with mainly weak white or blue vapour, and only occasional ash-laden emissions on 21-22 and 28 February.

"The seasonal NW wind carried fine ash over villages 8-18 km to the SE. Field inspection showed ~1 mm of ash accumulation in that area."

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