Throughout February, there was intermittent weak eruptive activity at Langila's Crater 2 while Crater 3 remained quiet. On the 3rd, two loud explosions were heard that produced thick dark ash clouds rising 2,500 m above the crater. A similar explosion occurred on 5 February. During 6-14 and 24-26 February, Crater 2 discharged small- to moderate-sized gray ash clouds. Low roaring and rumbling sounds were heard on the 20th, 22nd, and 24th. Crater 3 was restricted to weak fumarolic emissions the entire month. Both seismographs remained inoperative.

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: Ben Talai, RVO.