Between a Volcano and a Hard Place – MANAM (🇵🇬 P.N.G.)

Lava flow from near the top of Manam volcano. 09/2012 (© I. Itikarai, via mapio.net)

Ima Itikarai, RVO, on 29 January 2005:
“… it has been a very eventful week … Tavurvur resumed eruption on Monday evening and Manam produced another paroxysmal eruption on Thursday night … . Our observation post at Warisi village was wiped out completely by what is described as pyroclastic flow … . All our equipment was destroyed by the event. There were about 14 people at Warisi at the time of the eruption and all got injured while trying to escape …” (From “Fire Mountains of the Island”)

Advertisement

Two Too Tall Guys – ULAWUN & BAMUS, P.N.G.

On the volcanic front of the New Britain Island Arc: from left to right, Ulawun, Lolobau in the foreground, and Bamus volcanoes in New Britain. (© Richard Arculus, via Flickr)

Ulawun stratovolcano is a very steep and 2334 m-high mountain on the central-north coast of New Britain, P.N.G. Bamus stands 2248 m tall beside him, and both have a problem – they’re growing too high. Both Ulawun and Bamus are more than 400 m taller than all other stratovolcanoes in the 1000-km-long Bismarck Volcanic Arc. Given existing faults and scarps of historical events, concerns are that flank failure is in the cards for both volcanoes. Locally the three volcanoes Ulawun, Bamus (to the SW of U.) and Likuruanga (to the NE of U.) are better known as the “Father group”: After myths told by the Nakanai people these three are named Father, South Son and North Son.

Perished in Style – Ritter Island, P.N.G.

Ritter Island, 9/2010 © John B. Dikaung (via Panoramio, Peter John Tate)