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Langila

Complex volcano · Papua New Guinea · 1330m

Langila, one of the most active volcanoes of New Britain, consists of a group of four small overlapping cones on the lower eastern flank of the extinct Talawe volcano. Plumes are shown here on 4 September from Craters 2 (left) and 3 (right) during a 1970 eruption. Frequent mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions, sometimes accompanied by lava flows, have been recorded since the 19th century from the three active craters at the summit.
Langila, one of the most active volcanoes of New Britain, consists of a group of four small overlapping cones on the lower eastern flank of the extinct Talawe volcano. Plumes are shown here on 4 September from Craters 2 (left) and 3 (right) during a 1970 eruption. Frequent mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions, sometimes accompanied by lava flows, have been recorded since the 19th century from the three active craters at the summit. · Photo: Photo by Wally Johnson, 1970 (Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Complex volcano
Country
Papua New Guinea
Region
Southwestern Pacific / Bismarck Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1330m
Coordinates
-5.525, 148.420
Last eruption
2026
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
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 E flank of the extinct Talawe volcano in the Cape Gloucester area of NW New Britain. A rectangular, 2.5-km-long crater is breached widely to the SE; Langila was constructed NE of the breached crater of Talawe. An extensive lava field reaches the coast on the N 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. The youngest and smallest crater (no. 3 crater) was formed in 1960 and has a diameter of 150 m.

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1878~1892 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 21892~1905 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 21905~1919 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 21933~1947 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 11947~1960 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 31960~1974 · 7 eruptions · max VEI 32001~2015 · 11 eruptions · max VEI 218781905194719742001

Detailed timeline

  1. 2015VEI 2Observed
    2015-10-22 – 2026-03-16
    Crater 2
  2. 2013VEI ?Observed
    2013-10-23 – 2013-12-01
  3. 2012VEI 0Observed
    2012-07-21 – 2012-07-21
  4. 2012VEI 1Observed
    2012-12-01 – 2012-12-05
    Summit craters
  5. 2011VEI 0Observed
    2011-07-28 – 2011-07-28
  6. 2009VEI 2Observed
    2009-09-16 – 2010-02-16
    Crater 2
  7. 2006VEI 2Observed
    2006-08-09 – 2008-07-06
  8. 2005VEI 2Observed
    2005-04-19 – 2006-03-31
  9. 2004VEI 2Observed
    2004-01-20 – 2004-01-27
  10. 2004VEI 2Observed
    2004-11-24 – 2004-12-25
  11. 2002VEI 2Observed
    2002-05-25 – 2003-04-09
    Crater 2
  12. 1973VEI 3Observed
    1973-02-24 – 2000-10-16
    Crater 3, Crater 2
  13. 1971VEI 2Observed
    1971-01-26 – 1972-07-05
    Crater 2
  14. 1970VEI 2Observed
    1970-05-20 – 1970-09-22
    Crater 2
  15. 1969VEI 2Observed
    1969-09-29 – 1969-09-29
    Crater 2 or 3
  16. 1967VEI 2Observed
    1967-01-19 – 1968-06-16
    Crater 2, Crater 3
  17. 1964VEI 2Observed
    1964-12-04 – 1966-09-23
    Crater 2, Crater 3
  18. 1962VEI 2Observed
    1962-03-16 – 1963-08-11
    Crater 2, Crater 3
  19. 1960VEI 2Observed
    1960-12-19 – 1961-09-25
    Crater 3, Crater 2
  20. 1958VEI 2Observed
    1958-04-21 – 1958-06-04
    Crater 2
  21. 1956VEI 2Observed
    1956-03-25 – 1956-03-31
    Crater 2
  22. 1955VEI 2Observed
    1955-02-15 – 1955-02-17
    Crater 2
  23. 1955VEI 2Observed
    1955-06-01 – 1955-06-16
    Crater 2
  24. 1954VEI 3Observed
    1954-05-18 – 1954-11-13
    Crater 2
  25. 1942 (±5 yrs)VEI 1Geological estimate
    1942-07-02 – Ongoing
    Crater 2
  26. 1907VEI 2Observed
    1907-07-02 – Ongoing
    NE Crater (crater 2)
  27. 1900VEI 2Observed
    1900-07-02 – Ongoing
    North Crater (crater 1)
  28. 1890VEI 0Observed
    1890-07-02 – Ongoing
  29. 1884VEI 2Observed
    1884-07-02 – Ongoing
  30. 1878VEI 2Observed
    1878-07-02 – Ongoing
    Crater 2

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.