Eruptive activity at Crater 2 continued during October-December. The activity pattern of 7-26 October was similar to that during January-September. Emissions included thin, white to thick, gray vapor-and-ash clouds. The ash clouds rose ~1-2 km above the crater. Ashfall was observed on 8-22 October on the N, NW, and SE sides of the volcano. Weak, steady, red glows were seen on the nights of 7, 12-13, 20-21, and 26 October. Projections of red incandescent lava fragments occurred on the nights of 8-10 and 17 October. After 26 October eruptive activity declined to emissions of thin, weak, white vapor. During November and December, activity at Crater 2 consisted of emissions of thin, weak, white vapor, and, occasionally, moderate ash clouds. Light ashfall was observed on 5 and 11-12 November on the N, NW, and SE sides of the volcano.

Crater 3 remained quiet during October-December. Thin, weak, white vapor began to emit on 1 December. Seismic monitoring was conducted only between 11 November and 4 December. Seismicity was low during this period.

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: B. Talai, I. Itikarai, and P. de Saint Ours, RVO.