The NASA Earth Observatory Natural Hazards web site has a new satellite image of volcanic activity at Rabaul (New Britain, Papua New Guinea). Plumes, including ash plumes, were released by Tavurvur cone during the period 4-11 March 2008, and NASA’s Terra satellite took an image of an ash plume on 11 March 2008, which was posted to the Earth Observatory site on 18 March 2008. Link to page.

Information
Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program - summary information for Rabaul (0502-14=)

Continuing thermal activity at the Bagiai cone on Karkar Island is causing concern at the Rabaul Volcano Observatory, reported Papua New Guinea’s The National on 6 March 2008. Vegetation has been turning brown and dying on the flanks of Bagiai, and between 15 and 20 earthquakes per day have been recorded by the RVO seismic monitoring equipment installed in January. An RVO team will be travelling to Karkar this week to set up ground deformation measuring equipment, and the observatory has put in a bid for funding for a permanent monitoring presence on the island, as the current equipment has only been deployed on a temporary basis.

The increased seismic activity at Karkar began in December 2007.

Information
Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program - summary information for Karkar (0501-03=)
Karkar - information from the Papua New Guinea Ministry of Mineral Resources
Papua New Guinea Volcanological Observatory Branch - Rabaul Volcano Observatory

News
Thermal activity at Bagiai cone a concern - The National, 6 March 2008

The NASA Earth Observatory Natural Hazards web site has two new satellite images of volcanic activity at Rabaul (New Britain, Papua New Guinea) and Antahan (Mariana Islands).

Rabaul Volcano on the island of New Britain released a plume on 3 February 2008. Image posted 5 February 2008. Link to page.

Anatahan Volcano in the central Mariana Islands began releasing plumes of ash and steam in early February 2008. Image posted 8 February 2008. Link to page.

Information
Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program - summary information for Rabaul (0502-14=)
Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program - summary information for Anatahan (0804-20=)

The Papua New Guinea newspaper The National reports today, 9 January 2008, that the Rabaul Volcano Observatory is sending two seismologists to investigate increased activity at Bagiai cone, a pyroclastic cone situated within the Karkar caldera. Over the Christmas and New Year period thermal activity increased and high-frequency earthquakes were recorded, and occasional roaring noises indicative of degassing have been heard by local people. Overall seismicity at Karkar remains low.

The last eruption at Karkar, a forested volcanic island with two nested summit calderas north of mainland Papua New Guinea, was in 1979. The population of the island is around 42,000.

Information
Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program - summary information for Karkar (0501-03=)
Karkar - information from the Papua New Guinea Ministry of Mineral Resources
Papua New Guinea Volcanological Observatory Branch - Rabaul Volcano Observatory

News
RVO records seismic activity on Karkar - The National, 9 January 2008

The National of Papua New Guinea reports that the Rabaul Volcano Observatory has recorded a slight increase in seismic activity at Tavurvur, but that the RVO has said that there is little indication of any build-up to a significant explosive eruption.

Information
Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program - summary information for Rabaul (0502-14=)
Papua New Guinea Volcanological Observatory Branch - Rabaul Volcano Observatory

News
Increase seismic activity in Mt Tavurvur - The National, 6 January 2008