Throughout January activity at Crater 2 continued at a low level. Although on most days, Crater 2 only occasionally released pale gray ash clouds, from 9 to 19 January, darker gray clouds were emitted. These were occasionally accompanied by weak rumbling sounds and the emission of glowing lava fragments. The ash clouds seldom rose higher than ~2.5 km, although they occasionally reached ~4 km altitude. They blew to the SE, resulting in light ashfall. During January, Crater 3 released only fumarolic white vapors. No seismic recording took place during the month.

During 11-12 February at least five aviation reports gave warnings to pilots (SIGMETs) for Langila's plumes. The reports indicated the plumes reached at least 10.7 km altitude on 11-12 February. Although some reports described W-drifting plumes, one report at 1745 on 12 February described a "tight radius" plume that consisted of a ". . . solid core of discernible ash up to [10.7 km altitude]."

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, D. Lolok, P. de Saint-Ours, and C. McKee, RVO.