"Sometime between overflights on 28 January and 15 February, effusion of lava commenced on the upper W flank of Crater 3, from the new vent formed on 19 January. When first observed on 15 February, the flow was about 700 m long. Explosions and rumbling were heard throughout the month, and glow and lava fragment ejections from the new vent were seen occasionally. Little ash emission was observed, but blue and white emissions were common. Crater 2 emissions consisted solely of white vapour.

"The seismograph was shifted from Kilenge Mission (10 km W of Langila) to Cape Gloucester airstrip (8 km N of the volcano) to enable joint direct visual and seismic observations. Seismic activity associated with the eruption was weak, consisting of tremor-like signals and probable explosion events."

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: C. McKee, RVO.