· ·

Strong steaming and possible eruption at Tinakula volcano at Solomon Islands

strong-steaming-and-possible-eruption-at-tinakula-volcano-at-solomon-islands

Tinakula is a conical stratovolcano which forms an island north of Nendo in Temotu Province, the Solomon Islands in South Pacific. It lies at the north end of the Santa Cruz Islands.  It is about 3.5 km wide and rises 851 m above sea level, but rises three or four km above the sea floor. On February 13th and 14th, 2012, NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) detected heat signatures on Tinakula, and a small plume was apparent in visible imagery (lower image). Over the past decade satellites have detected intermittent “thermal anomalies” that suggest eruptions have taken place, but eyewitness observations are infrequent Earth Observatory reported.

The island of Tinakula is uninhabited. A previous population was eradicated when the volcano erupted around 1840 and pyroclastic flows swept all sides of the island. In 1951, Polynesians from Nukapu and Nupani settled on the island, which reached a peak population of 130, before it had to be evacuated with the 1971 eruption. The village of Temateneni was on the southeast coast. In the late 1980s, two families (less than 10 people) from Nupani made another attempt at settlement. The island is covered with jungle, except for the western side, which is covered with ash. It was scraped by landslides in 1965. When the volcano erupts, it is possible to watch large boulders tumbling down the mountain side.

 

Featured image credit: Donn Tolia (GVP/Geological Survey of the Solomon Islands, courtesy of CSIRO).

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

4 Comments

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *