"Moderate explosive activity persisted at Crater 2 during the first week of October, but from the 8th until the end of the month, eruptive activity was at a low level.

"During 1-7 October, activity at Crater 2 consisted of weak-strong ash emission accompanied by explosion and rumbling sounds heard 10 km away. Weak red night glow from the crater was observed 3-7 October. Seismically this activity was represented by occasional large Vulcanian explosion earthquakes (2-5 per day), numerous smaller explosion shocks, and rare periods of continuous and discontinuous harmonic tremor. Ashfall was experienced in coastal inhabited areas about 10 km N and NW of the volcano on 2 October.

"From the 8th until the end of the month, Crater 2 released white emissions in small to moderate quantities. However, Vulcanian explosions accompanied by loud detonation sounds and ejections of incandescent material took place on 24 and 27 October. Seismicity was at a low level 8-31 October, but rare Vulcanian explosion events were also recorded. Crater 3 released small volumes of white and occasionally blue vapours throughout the month."

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.