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Ulawun is a
Information from the Papua New Guinea Geological Survey
"Mount Ulawun, Papua New Guinea" on Peakbagger
{{Decade Volcanoes Volcanoes of New Britain Active volcanoes Decade Volcanoes Mountains of Papua New Guinea Stratovolcanoes of Papua New Guinea VEI-4 volcanoes West New Britain Province
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
ic and andesitic stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...
in West New Britain Province, on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
.
About southwest of the township of Rabaul, Ulawun is the highest mountain in New Britain and the second in the Bismarck Archipelago at , and one of the most active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea. A total of 22 recorded eruptions have occurred since the 18th century; the first, in 1700, was recorded by William Dampier. Several thousand people live near the volcano. Because of its eruptive history and proximity to populated areas, Ulawun is considered one of the Decade Volcanoes.
Recent activity
The last few years have seen almost constant activity at Ulawun, with frequent small explosions, and have caused great damage and loss of life. The volcano erupted at approximately 7am on 26 June 2019, and was quickly upgraded to a major sub-Plinian eruption, with ash climbing to . Over 5000 people were evacuated, and flights into nearby Hoskins Airport were cancelled. Lava cut the New Britain Highway in three different locations. On 20 November 2023 ash emissions and eruption noises lead to the alert level being raised to stage 3. The eruption intesified the next hours and produced a plume that reached at an altiude of that drifted west, and alert level was raised to 4, the top of the scale. Pyroclastic flows descended the northwest and south flank and ashfall was recorded in the north and northwest of the volcano. The alert level was lowered to three the next day, ash emission was less intense, and then lowered again on 22 November. Volcanoes in Papua New Guinea are some of the world's most prolific sources of sulphur dioxide. Recent studies have shown that Ulawun alone releases about 7 kg/s of SO2, which is about 2% of the global total of SO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Its activity is related to subduction of the Solomon Sea Plate under the South Bismarck Plate in the New Britain subduction zone. Ulawun has been named one of the Decade Volcanoes, 16 volcanoes identified as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and their proximity to populated areas.View
See also
* List of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea * List of ultras of OceaniaReferences
* Johnson, RW, Davies, RA and White, AJR (1972) Ulawun Volcano, New Britain. Canberra, Department of National Development, Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics Bulletin 142, PNG 5.External links
Information from the Papua New Guinea Geological Survey
"Mount Ulawun, Papua New Guinea" on Peakbagger
{{Decade Volcanoes Volcanoes of New Britain Active volcanoes Decade Volcanoes Mountains of Papua New Guinea Stratovolcanoes of Papua New Guinea VEI-4 volcanoes West New Britain Province