Crater 2 emitted thin to thick white vapor throughout September, with an occasional ash component. Weak roaring noises were reported on 1 September. One large explosion on 21 September sent ash to an altitude of 2-3 km and resulted in ashfalls to the SW. Crater 3 was quiet, emitting only thin white vapor.

The activity at Crater 2 during October was moderate and uneventful. Pale gray ash clouds rose intermittently to ~500 m, without sound. On 21 October, however, weak roaring and rumbling sounds accompanied emissions to 1,000-1,500 m and a bright fluctuating night glow.

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: Patrice de Saint-Ours, Steve Saunders, and Ben Talai, RVO.