Pago and the Witori Caldera, PNG

Active Pago cone in Witori caldera from the N in Sept 2002 during the 2002 eruptive sequence.  Directional blast left vegetation alone close to the crater rim while mowing trees down to the right of the image.  Photo courtesy USGS – VDAP via Smithsonian GVP

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Mount Taranaki, New Zealand

Taranaki with snowcap. Satellite vent Fanthams Peak to the left of the photo. Image courtesy skimountaineer.com

The White Island Phreatic Eruption of Dec 9, 2019

White Island from helo Dec 10, the day after the eruption.  Note the new cover of ash, residual steam from the crater, and the significant outflow of mud into the surrounding ocean.  Image courtesy RNZ.co

Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand

Mount Ruapehu in eruption during 1995 eruption sequence.  Image courtesy TRTWorld blog, 2016

Heard and McDonald Islands, Australia

Emperor penguins on Heard Island. Big Ben volcano is in the background. Image courtesy ABC Australia, Jan. 2019

Australia 4 – The Volcanoes of Victoria and Tasmania

Schematic of volcanic provinces in Victoria. Older volcanics are depicted in green, Newer in orange, and Macedon – Trentham in blue. Image courtesy Meeuws, et al. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264817216300605

 

This post will cover remaining volcanic activity in southern Australia.  The majority of it is in the southeastern state of Victoria.  The most recent activity has spilled over the border to the west into South Australia.  Finally, we will take a look at volcanic activity in the Bass Strait, the water separating Tasmania from the rest of the continent and a quick look at volcanic activity in Tasmania.

Australia 3 – Volcanic Activity in Southern Queensland and New South Wales

Volcanic provinces in Southern Queensland and New South Wales. Screen Capture from Jones Thesis, Evolution and migration of Cenozoic Australia.

Australia 2 – Volcanic Activity in Northern and Central Queensland

Volcanic fields and provinces in Queensland. Image screen capture courtesy Jones Thesis 2018, Evolution and migration of Cenozoic Australia.

 

I originally intended to cover all volcanic fields and provinces I could find in Queensland.  Turns out there were a lot of them, so many that the post grew too large.  Will limit this post to northern and central Queensland, and bundle southern Queensland with New South Wales in Part 3, the next post.  With that being said, let’s take a look at Queensland.

Australia 1 – Introduction into Australian Volcanic Activity

Mount Elephant, Newer volcanic field, Victoria. Abandoned scoria quarry in the foreground. Photo courtesy Australian Geographic. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/science-environment/2017/05/volcanic-victoria/