Skip to main content
← Back to map
⇄ Compare

Bam

Stratovolcano · Papua New Guinea · 685m

The small 2.4 x 1.6 km island of Bam, seen here from the S, is the summit of a mostly submerged volcano that is one of the more active in Papua New Guinea. A 300-m-wide and 180-m-deep summit crater is source of recent eruptions, which have resulted in the sparsely-vegetated area. A younger cone (center) formed inside a SE-facing landslide scarp. Eruptions recorded since 1872 involved small-to-moderate explosive activity from the summit crater.
The small 2.4 x 1.6 km island of Bam, seen here from the S, is the summit of a mostly submerged volcano that is one of the more active in Papua New Guinea. A 300-m-wide and 180-m-deep summit crater is source of recent eruptions, which have resulted in the sparsely-vegetated area. A younger cone (center) formed inside a SE-facing landslide scarp. Eruptions recorded since 1872 involved small-to-moderate explosive activity from the summit crater. · Photo: Photo by Wally Johnson, 1970 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Papua New Guinea
Region
Southwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions / Bismarck Volcanic Arc
Elevation
685m
Coordinates
-3.613, 144.818
Last eruption
1960
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

The 1.6 x 2.4 km island of Bam is the summit of a mostly submerged volcano in the Schouten Islands off the coast of New Guinea, ~40 km NNE of the mouth of the Sepik River. A steep-walled summit crater that is 300 m wide and 180 m deep is the source of recent eruptions, which have kept the upper half of the cone sparsely vegetated. A NE-trending landslide scarp extends across the upper part of the andesitic volcano from the SW coast, and a large submarine debris-avalanche deposits lies to the S and SW. The younger summit cone partially buries the eastern side of the collapse scarp. A recent lava platform on the N flank supports the small island's only villages. Eruptions recorded since 1872 have all consisted of small-to-moderate explosive activity from the summit crater.

From Wikipedia

Bam, also known as Biem, is a small volcanic island off the coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG), 40 km (25 mi) north northeast of the Sepik river mouth. It represents the southernmost island of the Schouten Islands. The northern coast of the island is inhabited by a village and coconut groves. Much of the island is forested, except along its south flank. As of 2018, the island has a population of approximately 3,000 people.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1872~1881 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 31881~1890 · 3 eruptions · max VEI ?1890~1898 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1898~1907 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 21907~1916 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 21916~1925 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 21934~1942 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1942~1951 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 21951~1960 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 218721890191619341951

Detailed timeline

  1. 1960VEI 2Observed
    1960-04-28 – 1960-07-06
  2. 1959VEI 2Observed
    1959-04-02 – 1959-10-31
  3. 1958VEI 2Observed
    1958-03-11 – 1958-04-19
  4. 1958VEI 2Observed
    1958-09-05 – 1958-09-10
  5. 1957VEI 1Observed
    1957-10-26 – 1957-10-26
  6. 1954VEI 2Observed
    1954-08-03 – 1957-01-02
  7. 1947VEI 2Observed
    1947-03-13 – Ongoing
  8. 1944VEI 2Observed
    1944 – Ongoing
  9. 1936VEI ?Geological estimate
    1936-07 – 1939-04
  10. 1924VEI 2Observed
    1924 – Ongoing
  11. 1918VEI ?Observed
    1918-09-18 – Ongoing
  12. 1913VEI ?Observed
    1913 – Ongoing
  13. 1909VEI 2Observed
    1909-04-19 – 1909-09-13
  14. 1908VEI 2Observed
    1908-07-12 – Ongoing
  15. 1907VEI 2Observed
    1907-11 – Ongoing
  16. 1897VEI ?Geological estimate
    1897 – 1898
  17. 1888VEI ?Geological estimate
    1888 – Ongoing
  18. 1885VEI ?Geological estimate
    1885-05-20 – Ongoing
  19. 1883VEI ?Geological estimate
    1883-03 – Ongoing
  20. 1877VEI 3Observed
    1877-11-13 – Ongoing
  21. 1874VEI 2Observed
    1874-05-20 – Ongoing
  22. 1872 (±4 yrs)VEI 3Observed
    1872 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.