papua new guinea

A wrap up of the week's volcanism, brought to you by Sally Kuhn Sennert and the USGS/SI Global Volcanism Program. Highlights, not including Sarychev Peak, Redoubt and Shiveluch (busy week in the north Pacific), include: A small ash cloud was spotted at Bagana in Papua New Guinea. The Tavurvur cone at Rabaul (PNG) continues to glow at night and produce small ash/steam plumes. The Santiaguito dome at Santa Maria in Guatemala produced 8,000-10,000 foot / ~2.9-3.3 km ash plumes, along with a lahar that carried blocks over 1.5 m downstream from the volcano. A 25,000 foot / 7.6 km ash plume was…
We've already talked about how many active volcanoes reside in Indonesia, but this week's USGS/SI update just drives that point home. Listed in the update are no less than 5 volcanoes were activity is being seen or is on the increase (Karangetang, Slamet, Dukono, Batu Tara and Makian). This doesn't mean mention the activity at Anak Krakatau, Rinjani or Semeru. Amazing. Anyway, highlights - not counting Indonesia or the South American trio - from this week's report (as usual aptly put together by Sally Kuhn Sennert) include: A ~8,000 foot / 2.4 km ash and steam plume from Bagana in Papua New…
A week's worth of volcano news in one sitting, thanks to the USGS and Smithsonian Inst.'s Global Volcanism Program. Thanks again, Sally Kuhn Sennert for putting it together! This week's highlights include: Small ash column spotted at Manam, Papua New Guinea. We talked about Manam not too long ago. More details of the ongoing submarine eruption at West Mata in the Mariana Islands. The lava dome continues to grow on Redoubt, Alaska with no real collapse yet. Pilots spotted small (2.1 km / 7,000 foot) steam/ash plumes at Suwanosejima, Japan. 5-6 km / 18-25,000 foot ash plumes were produced by…
Manam in Papua New Guinea erupting in 2004 Five years ago, Manam volcano in Papua New Guinea erupted. The volcano is located on a 10-km island of the same name and when it erupted in 2004, it produced pyroclastic flows and lava flows to the tune of a VEI 4 eruption. It was decided that the 9,000 inhabitants of the island had to be evacuated but even so, five people died due to the eruption. However, there are still thousands of people in temporary care centers on the main island of Papua New Guinea. Tensions have flared with the local inhabitants, to the point that four former islanders have…
All the eruptions fit to print from the Smithsonsian/USGS GVP Weekly Report. A few highlights (not including Redoubt, Rinjani and Slamet): Multiple ash plumes from Galeras (Colombia), some producing noticeable ash fall up to 35 km from the vent. The Alert Level at Anak Krakatau, Indonesia was raised to 3 (out of 4) after a sharp increase in the number of explosions. The Alert Level at Cleveland in Alaska was lowered from Yellow to "Unassigned" (no Green for Cleveland as there is no real-time seismic network for the volcano, thus no "background levels" to compare.) Ebeko in Russia continues to…
tags: new species, Papua New Guinea, Zoology, Biodiversity A large brilliant green tree frog, Nyctimystes species, with enormous eyes, was discovered by scientists next to a clear-running mountain river. Image: Steve Richards/Conservation International. A brilliant green tree tree frog with giant black eyes, tentatively classified as a Nyctimystes species, is one of 56 new species of animals discovered during a 2008 expedition to the remote island of Papua New Guinea. This species of frog is specially adapted to its habitat of rushing freshwater rivers: females lay their eggs underneath…
Sorry about the dearth of posts. It has been a busy week here in Davis and I've been a little distracted by the upcoming election. Combined with the relative lack of volcano news this week, the posting has been lackluster. However, that being said, I will try to make up for some of it by starting my Volcano Profiles series that will bide the time between volcano news. I start with a volcano that was suggested by Eruptions reader Thomas Donlon: Rabaul. VOLCANO PROFILE: RABAUL   Location: Papau New Guinea Height: 688 m Geophysical location: Boundary of Australian plate and Pacific plate…
The western Pacific basin is pockmarked with active and extinct volcanoes related to the subduction of the Pacific plate along almost all of its western boundary. An Australian National University research group recently discovered a pair of undersea volcanoes that would put any good mining geologist into a fit of joy. These volcanoes are spewing volcanic gases underwater that are very rich in metals like copper, lead, zinc and gold. All of these metals like to go into solution in acidic fluids like volcanic gases, and when these volcanic fluids meet the cold (and decidedly less acidic)…
tags: New Guinea, Papua, deforestation, satellite analysis, biodiversity, field research, endangered species Before and After: Forest area near Milne Bay in 1990 (top) and 2005 (bottom). Image University of Papua New Guinea. I have been fascinated by New Guinea ever since I first read about this unique island in Wallace's marvelous book, The Malay Archipelago, when I was just a kid. My fascination with New Guinea led to my passion for the birdlife there, especially my love for the Birds of Paradise, and the lories and other parrot species. I had always secretly dreamt of visiting this…