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 conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

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 w ...

, on the island of

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) 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 the Dam ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. 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 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...

, 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 50,000 square km. History The first inhabitants o ...

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 circumnav ...

. Several thousand people live near the volcano. Because of its eruptive history and proximity to populated areas, Ulawun has been deemed 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 volcanic eruption, ...

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 New Britain Highway in three different locations. 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 toxic gas responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activ ...

. 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. 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. By Abubakr Sattar

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References

* McGonigle A.J.S., Oppenheimer C., Tsanev V.I. ''et al.'' (2004), '' Sulphur dioxide fluxes from Papua New Guinea's volcanoes'', Geophysical Research Letters, v. 31, issue 8 * 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