"Eruptive activity at Crater 2 continued in August. Except for a quiet period during 1-11 August, on most days thick columns of mushroom-shaped grey-brown ash clouds were released. Light ashfall in coastal areas downwind was reported on 12 and 26 August. One explosion noise was heard on the 12th, and occasional rumbling noises were heard on the 17th and 23rd. Steady weak red glow was seen on 1 and 15 August.

"Crater 3 activity was generally low. Throughout August, Crater 3 produced weak emissions of thin, pale-grey and occasionally blue vapour. After the 26th the volume of blue emissions became moderate. The 30th marked the beginning of occasional moderate to thick emissions of grey-brown ash clouds producing light ash fall on the N and NW sides of the volcano.

"Seismicity was low throughout the month. Daily totals of volcanic earthquakes were between 1 and 5."

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, R. Stewart, and C. McKee, RVO.