"Activity remained at a low level during May. Crater 2 occasionally produced weak to moderate white-grey emissions. Low rumbling noises were heard on the 19th, 20th, and 24th-26th. Weak glows from this crater were seen on 4, 18, 19, and 22 May. Crater 3 remained virtually inactive, with only weak white vapour emissions on the 21st and 24th. Seismicity remained at a low level with occasional Vulcanian explosion events recorded."

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: H. Patia and P. Lowenstein, RVO.