Eruption on Mount Ulawun, on New Britain island, Papua New Guinea.

Authorities on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, have begun evacuating people from settlements close to Mount Ulawun, a 2334 m high stratovolcano (cone-shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on the north coast of the island, following an eruption on Monday 20 November 2023. The eruption, which happened in the afternoon, produced an ash column 15 km high, causing flights from airports on the island to be cancelled. The volcano has continued to erupt since the initial event. Mount Uluwun is one of the most active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea, though most eruptions are much smaller than this week's events.

An ash column over Mount Ulawan, Papua New Guinea, on 21 November 2023. Enoch Lapa/Reuters.

New Britain lies on the boundary between the South Bismarck and Solomon Sea tectonic plates. The Solomon Sea Plate is being subducted beneath the South Bismarck Plate, which causes friction as the plates rub together, occasionally leading to Earthquakes. As the Solomon Sea Plate sinks into the Earth it is melted by the heat of the planet's interior. Some of the melted material then rises through the overlying South Bismarck Plate, fuelling the volcanoes of New Britain.

The subduction of the Solomon Sea Plate beneath New Britain. Oregon State University.

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Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake beneath East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake at a depth of 35.0 km roughly 149 km to the southwest of the city of Kokopo in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, slightly after 3.35 pm local time (slightly after 5.35 am GMT) on Monday 8 August 2022. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, but people have reported feeling it locally. 

The approximate location of the 8 August 2022 East New Britain Earthquake. USGS.

New Britain is located on the South Bismarck Plate, north of the Solomon Sea Plate, which is being subducted beneath it. The plates do not pass over one-another smoothly, but constantly stick together then break apart as the pressure builds up, causing Earthquakes in the process.

The subduction of the Solomon Sea Plate beneath New Britain. Oregon State University.

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Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake on the south coast of East New Britain.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake at a depth of 25.2 km roughly 49 km on the south coast of East New Britain Province, Papua New Gunea, slightly before 5.10 am local time on Thursday 26 August 2020 (slightly before 7.10 pm on Wednesday 26 February GMT). There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, but it is likely to have been felt locally. 

The aproximate location of the 26 August 2020 East New Britain Earthquake. USGS.

New Britain is located on the South Bismarck Plate, north of the Solomon Sea Plate, which is being subducted beneath it. The plates do not pass over one-another smoothly, but constantly stick together then break apart as the pressure builds up, causing Earthquakes in the process.

The subduction of the Solomon Sea Plate beneath New Britain. Oregon State University.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

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Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake triggers fatal landslide in New Britain.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake at a depth of 53.5 km roughly 49 km to the southeast of the towm of KImbe in West New Britain Province, Papua New Gunea, slightly after 1.45 am local time on Wednesday 12 February 2020 (slightly after 3.45 pm on Tuesday 11 February GMT). The event triggered a number of landslides, including one in Kimbe that killed a young couple and their child while all three were sleeping in their home.

The aproximate location of the 12 February 2020 West New Britain Earthquake. USGS.

New Britain is located on the South Bismarck Plate, north of the Solomon Sea Plate, which is being subducted beneath it. The plates do not pass over one-another smoothly, but constantly stick together then break apart as the pressure builds up, causing Earthquakes in the process.

 The subduction of the Solomon Sea Plate beneath New Britain. Oregon State University.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

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Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake off the southwest coast of Bougainville Island, Papau New Guinea.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake at a depth of 68.2 km, to the southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, slightly before 9.20 pm local time (slightly before 9.20 am GMT) on Thursday 6 June 2019. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, though it may have been felt on the island.

The approximate location of the 6 June 2019 Bougainville Earthquake. USGS.

Bougainville Island lies on the southern fringe of the Pacific Plate. To the south of the island the Solomon Sea Plate is being subducted beneath the Pacific Plate along the Bougainville Trench, passing under the island of Bougainville as it sinks into the Earth. This is not a smooth process; the rocks of the two plates constantly stick together, then break apart as the pressure builds up, causing Earthquakes in the process.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.  

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Eruptions on Mount Langila, New Britain.

The Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has reported a pair of Eruptions on the Mount Langila Volcanic Complex on New Britain, Papua New Guinea, this month. The first occurred on Thursday 17-Friday 18 May, and the second on Monday 21-Tuesday 22 May 2018. Both eruptions produced ash columns that rose to 2.1-2.4 km above sealevel and drifted to the west.

The approximate location of the Langila Volcanic Complex. Google Maps.

Mount Langila is an active complex volcano comprised of four overlapping craters emerging from the northeast flank of the extinct Talawe Volcano on Cape Gloucester at the western tip of New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The volcano has produced numerous explosive eruptions ever since it was first recorded in the mid-nineteenth century, and is flanked to the northeast by a lava field which runs to the sea. The newest crater was created during an explosive eruption in 1960 that produced 10 000 cubic meters of lava.

New Britain lies on the boundary between the South Bismarck and Solomon Sea tectonic plates. The Solomon Sea Plate is being subducted beneath the South Bismarck Plate, which causes friction as the plates rub together, occasionally leading to Earthquakes. As the Solomon Sea Plate sinks into the Earth it is melted by the heat of the planets interior. Some of the melted material then rises through the overlying South Bismarck Plate, fuelling the volcanoes of New Britain.

The subduction of the Solomon Sea Plate beneath New Britain. Oregon State University.

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Magnitude 7.9 Earthquake beneath Bougainville Island.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 7.9 Earthquake at a depth of 136 km,beneath central Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, at about 2.30 pm local time (about 4.30 am GMT) on Saturday 22 January 2017. This is a large quake, and was felt across Bourgainville, as well as northern parts of the Solomon Islands, New Britain and mainland Papua New Guinea, and some damage to buildings has been reported on Bougainville.

The approximate location of the 22 January 2017 Bougainville Earthquake. USGS.

Bougainville Island lies on the southern fringe of the Pacific Plate. To the south of the island the Solomon Sea Plate is being subducted beneath the Pacific Plate along the Bougainville Trench, passing under the island of Bougainville as it sinks into the Earth. This is not a smooth process; the rocks of the two plates constantly stick together, then break apart as the pressure builds up, causing Earthquakes in the process.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report Here. 

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