"The stronger eruptive activity reported in late July declined rapidly at the beginning of August, but this was followed by two more spasms of intensified activity. More frequent Vulcanian explosions from Crater 2, accompanied by characteristic volcanic earthquakes and sequences of continuous harmonic tremor, took place 10-14 and 19-23 August. Weak red incandescence at the crater was observed from locations about 10 km downwind on 10 and 11 August."

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.