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Langila spews ash to 2.4 km (8 000 feet) in its first explosive eruption since 2018, Papua New Guinea

langila-eruption-august-2020

Papua New Guinea's Langila volcano emitted ash that rose to an altitude of about 2 400 m (8 000 feet) on August 2 and 3, 2020. The last explosive eruption at this volcano took place in 2018.

According to the Darwin VAAC, the plume of ash rose to 2 400 m (8 000 feet) above sea level and drifted northwest at around 07:50 UTC (17:50 LT) on Sunday, August 2.

The volcano showed continuous activity as another eruption occurred at 19:40 UTC (05:40 LT on Monday, August 3).

volcano-langila-papua-new-guinea-aug-3-2020

Image credit: Sentinel-2, Acquired August 1.

On July 27, incandescence was visible from the volcano as captured by Sentinel-2.

Image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, Acquired July 27.

Langila on July 17, 2020. Credit: Copernicus EU/Seninel-2

Langila's last eruptive phase lasted from April 2, 2016 to October 30, 2018 (VEI 2). The volcano has only one known VEI 3 eruption — in 1954.

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 eastern flank of the extinct Talawe volcano.

Talawe is the highest volcano in the Cape Gloucester area of NW New Britain. A rectangular, 2.5-km-long (1.5 miles) crater is breached widely to the SE; Langila volcano was constructed NE of the breached crater of Talawe.

An extensive lava field reaches the coast on the north 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 of Langila.

The youngest and smallest crater (no. 3 crater) was formed in 1960 and has a diameter of 150 m (492 feet).

Featured image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2. Acquired on July 17, 2020

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