Papua New Guinea: Karkar erupts, plume reaches 13.7 km

Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) has reported a significant eruption of Karkar volcano in Papua New Guinea. The first advisory was issued at 08:39 UTC and reported ‘eruption to at least FL330’, which is 33,000 feet or 10,000 metres altitude. More recent advisories (the latest at the time of posting, issued at 20:57 UTC, is here) are reporting ash to FL450, which is 45,000 feet or 13,700 metres altitude. (Darwin VAAC advisories are most conveniently accessed via the NOAA website.)

No other information on this eruption appears to be available at the moment. The last confirmed eruption of Karkar, which is an island volcano consisting of two nested calderas. was in 1979. In late 2007 and early 2008 an increase in thermal and seismic activity at Karkar was observed: gas emissions in January 2008 produced white plumes and withering of vegetation around Bagiai cone, which has been the seat of recent historical eruptions.

[Thanks to Volcanism Blog reader Jan B. for the tip-off about Karkar.]

UPDATE. Erik Klemetti has more at Eruptions: Large eruption at Karkar in Papua New Guinea?.

UPDATE 26 NOV 2009. As commenters have noted below, further eruptions have been reported by Darwin VAAC: a plume to FL300 (30,000 feet or 9100 metres altitude) was reported at 2316 UTC on 25 November.

Information
Global Volcanism Program: Karkar – summary information for Karkar (0501-03=)