On 10 February GeoNet reported that weak-to-moderate gas-and-steam plumes from Whakaari/White Island during the previous week did not contain ash. Gas-and-steam plumes were visible in images from satellite and webcams (at Whakatane and Te Kaha), and during clearer weather conditions a larger plume was occasionally visible from the Bay of Plenty. Recent activity was consistent with moderate-to-heightened levels of unrest, therefore the Volcanic Alert Level remained at 2 (on a scale of 0-5). The Aviation Color Code was lowered to Yellow (the second lowest level on a four-color scale) due to the absence of ash in the emissions. GeoNet relies on remote cameras and satellite images to monitor Whakaari and noted that there is uncertainty due to the current lack of consistent, usable, real-time monitoring data.

Geological Summary. The uninhabited Whakaari/White Island is the 2 x 2.4 km emergent summit of a 16 x 18 km submarine volcano in the Bay of Plenty about 50 km offshore of North Island. The island consists of two overlapping andesitic-to-dacitic stratovolcanoes. The SE side of the crater is open at sea level, with the recent activity centered about 1 km from the shore close to the rear crater wall. Volckner Rocks, sea stacks that are remnants of a lava dome, lie 5 km NW. Descriptions of volcanism since 1826 have included intermittent moderate phreatic, phreatomagmatic, and Strombolian eruptions; activity there also forms a prominent part of Maori legends. The formation of many new vents during the 19th and 20th centuries caused rapid changes in crater floor topography. Collapse of the crater wall in 1914 produced a debris avalanche that buried buildings and workers at a sulfur-mining project. Explosive activity in December 2019 took place while tourists were present, resulting in many fatalities. The official government name Whakaari/White Island is a combination of the full Maori name of Te Puia o Whakaari ("The Dramatic Volcano") and White Island (referencing the constant steam plume) given by Captain James Cook in 1769.

Source: GeoNet