Although visibility was limited by a cyclonic depression during much of March, on the 22nd an ash plume rose to 3 km. Then, during the first ten days of April a brief lull took place as Crater 2 typically issued moderate volumes of white vapor and produced isolated weak explosions.

Between 11 and 16 April, ash emissions became more frequent. During 17-20 April, emissions consisted of continuous, thick pale brown to dark gray clouds. For the remainder of the month the emissions occasionally consisted of thin to thick ash of pale brown to pale gray color.

Crater 3 exhibited weak fumarolic activity in April. The seismographs were inoperative during March and April.

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