"Throughout May, Crater 2 produced forceful moderate to strong emissions of white-grey vapour and ash as well as occasional dark mushroom-shaped ash clouds. Many of the ash clouds rose several hundred metres above the crater rim, resulting in light ashfall to the N and NW on most days of the month. Some of the forceful ash emissions were accompanied by weak (and occasionally strong) detonations, but more frequently by rumbling noises. A strong explosion on the 26th was accompanied by lighting flashes. Projections of red incandescent lava fragments were observed on the 9th and 26th, and weak red summit glows were observed on 3, 23, 25, and 28-29 May. Activity at Crater 3 was at a very low level, mainly gentle emissions of thin white vapour. There were some days when no vapour emissions were observed. Neither audible noises nor summit glow were noted. One seismograph was restored and began operating again on 29 May."

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: Ima Itikarai and Ben Talai, RVO.