"Volcanic activity increased markedly in January and was concentrated in Crater 2. Several Vulcanian explosions were recorded every day. The most violent, 11-14 and 22-24 January, ejected incandescent boulders and tephra, illuminating the dark ash-laden column and setting fire to vegetation on the volcano's flanks. Consecutive ashfalls were blown SE over unpopulated areas. Crater 3, meanwhile, was quietly exhaling weak white vapours. In the sub-continuous seismic background, each discrete explosion was recorded as a sharp, large-amplitude event with a period of 1.5 Hz."

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: P. de Saint Ours and B. Talai, RVO.