"Activity increased slightly on 26 December and continued into January. A number of low-frequency explosion earthquakes (2-9) were recorded daily, some of which were accompanied by loud detonations heard at the the observation post . . . . Weak to loud rumbling noises were often heard and moderate pale-grey ash and vapour clouds were released from Crater 2. Weak red glow was observed at the summit on the nights of 4 and 9-11 January, by which time the number of explosion shocks had decreased to 1-3/day. One louder Vulcanian explosion took place on the 11th, producing a thick dark ash column. Weak red glow was observed again on the nights of 15-16 January and occasional weak rumbling noises were heard until the 21st. Occasional weak vapour emissions were observed from Crater 3 on the 4-5th, 10-11th, 13th, and 22nd."

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, H. Patia, and P. de Saint-Ours, RVO.