"Activity remained at a low level throughout August. Main Crater released weak white vapour emissions, while noiseless brown ash-laden emissions rose at intervals of a few minutes from Southern Crater. These resulted in very light ashfalls on the downwind side of the volcano on most days. Deep roaring noises were occasionally reported. Seismicity remained at an inter-eruptive level, ~1,200 low-frequency small-amplitude events/day. No significant change was recorded by the Tabele water tube tiltmeters."

Geological Summary. The 10-km-wide island of Manam, lying 13 km off the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea, is one of the country's most active volcanoes. Four large radial valleys extend from the unvegetated summit of the conical basaltic-andesitic stratovolcano to its lower flanks. These valleys channel lava flows and pyroclastic avalanches that have sometimes reached the coast. Five small satellitic centers are located near the island's shoreline on the northern, southern, and western sides. Two summit craters are present; both are active, although most observed eruptions have originated from the southern crater, concentrating eruptive products during much of the past century into the SE valley. Frequent eruptions, typically of mild-to-moderate scale, have been recorded since 1616. Occasional larger eruptions have produced pyroclastic flows and lava flows that reached flat-lying coastal areas and entered the sea, sometimes impacting populated areas.

Information Contacts: P. de Saint-Ours and C. McKee, RVO.