Ulawun is a

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 Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomina ...

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 ...

West New Britain Province West New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea on the islands of New Britain. The provincial capital is Kimbe. The area of the province is 20,387 km2 with a population of 264,264 as of the 2011 census. The province's only land border is ...

, on the island of

New Britain New Britain () is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi Island, Umboi the Dampie ...

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 Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...

, Ulawun is the highest mountain in

and the second in the

Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about . History The first inhabitants of the archipela ...

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 William Dampier (baptised 5 September 1651; died March 1715) was an English explorer, pirate, privateer, navigator, and naturalist who became the first Englishman to explore parts of what is today Australia, and the first person to circumnavig ...

. 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 The Decade Volcanoes are 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and pr ...

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 Hoskins Airport (IATA: HKN, ICAO: AYHK) is an airport in Hoskins (on the island of New Britain) in Papua New Guinea. The airport serves Kimbe Kimbe is the capital of the province of West New Britain in Papua New Guinea, and the largest settlem ...

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 flow A pyroclastic flow (also known as a pyroclastic density current or a pyroclastic cloud) is a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter (collectively known as tephra) that flows along the ground away from a volcano at average speeds of b ...

s 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 Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is r ...

. 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

, 16 volcanoes identified as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and their proximity to populated areas.

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References

* 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

Recent activity

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See also

References

External links