White Island volcano Aviation Color Code raised to Orange, New Zealand

GNS reported ongoing weak to moderate emissions of steam and gas from White Island, a volcanic island in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty, at 12:30 LT (UTC) on January 13.

Observations from webcams in Whakatāne and Te Kaha, along with satellite imagery, confirmed the presence of minor volcanic ash within the plumes. It prompted the change in the Aviation Colour Code to Orange which reflected increased unrest with potential risks for aviation safety.

The Alert Level remains at 2, indicating moderate to heightened volcanic unrest. Level 2, in the GNS Science system of 6 Alert Levels ranging from 0 (no unrest) to 5 (major eruption), indicates “moderate to heightened volcanic unrest.”

Weather conditions allowed visibility of the plume from the Bay of Plenty coastline which appeared hazy because of the ash content. Prevailing southerly winds have directed the emissions away from New Zealand’s mainland.

The volcanic activity has caused no immediate disruptions but the situation remains under constant monitoring.

“Over the last 2-3 weeks the emissions from the volcano have primarily been weak-to-moderate steam and gas plume emissions. We have frequently observed very minor volcanic ash associated with the plume, and this has created hazy conditions downwind of the island,” Craig Miller, GNS Duty Volcanologist noted.

Emissions from the volcano were characterized by steam and gas with minor ash recorded intermittently from late December 2024 to early January 2025.

The New Zealand MetService detected traces of ash in satellite data on multiple occasions, supporting observations of hazy conditions downwind of the island.

No ash emissions were identified during a volcanic overflight conducted on December 14, 2024.

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On December 23, weak emissions were visible through satellite data and webcams and it confirmed the continued presence of steam and gas plumes.

Real-time monitoring of White Island remains limited because of the lack of sensors on the island. Observations rely heavily on remote cameras, satellite imagery, and weather data. GNS warns that White Island can erupt explosively without warning as seen during previous eruptions in 2024 and earlier.

White Island — known locally as Whakaari, is a stratovolcano rising 294 m (965 feet) above sea level, with a much larger underwater base measuring 16 x 18 km (10 x 11 miles).

The southeastern crater faces the sea, and its last eruption occurred in 2019, resulting in multiple casualties during a tourist visit. The eruption was classified as Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) 2.

Other past eruptions include events in 2016 (VEI 1) and a prolonged period of activity from 1986 to 1994 (VEI 3). These events reshaped the volcano’s terrain and caused notable environmental impacts.

References:

¹ Steam and gas plumes at Whakaari with minor volcanic ash. Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2 and Aviation Colour Code is changed to Orange – GeoNet – January 13, 2025

² Whakaari/White Island – GVP – Accessed on January 13, 2025

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

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