Posted on 09/09/2002 8:10:20 AM PDT by cogitator
Page with additional pictures:
Pago volcano, New Britain, Papua New Guinea:
Brief report and photographs
Aug.26-September 2, 2002
Source: Volcano Research Center, ERI, Univ. Tokyo, M. Yoshimoto.
Associated stories indicate that the irritating ash and gases caused the evacuation of 3-4,000 people from the region near the volcano.
This eruption has been going on for a month, so probably not -- and the earthquake was much closer to a different island in the archipelago. This volcano is on New Britain. (They are connected in the sense that both the earthquakes and the volcanism occur because the islands are part of a subduction arc.)
It's nice to hear that. On other subjects I've been soundly chastised for being a bit too Earth-friendly. But we all live here, don't we?
You have succinctly summarized the situation.
"As of the 4th of September, the Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO) has reported that toxic ash that has rained down on farmland around Papua New Guinea's Mount Pago volcano for a month is making the area uninhabitable and up to 4,000 people will have to find new homes, an official said on Tuesday. The volcano on New Britain Island is spewing fine silicone ash, suffocating and poisoning trees in palm oil and coconut plantations and drying them out so they catch fire at the slightest spark. William Padio, chairman of the provincial disaster committee, said the area most affected extended for 10 km (6.2 miles) from the volcano through a 45 degree arc. "We are looking at relocation in the long term and immediately," Padio said. "We're talking about 3,000 to 4,000 people. They'll have to learn to live with it." Up to 15,000 people have been either evacuated or affected although no one has been injured. Australia, New Zealand and Japan have contributed emergency assistance and seismological monitoring equipment and researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey are expected in the area soon to help determine whether there is a risk of a serious eruption. Mt. Pago, a relatively unstudied volcano, last spewed smoke and ash in 1933 and erupted in the 1920s. Volcano experts say there are trench-like deformations in the crater that could indicate that magma is pooling beneath the surface and may one day force its way out in an explosion. (RVO)
As of the 31st of August, the Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO) has reported that the following summary report is based on information from the United Nations Resident Coordinator in PNG. Situation. After its eruption on 5 August 2002, Mt Pago Volcano in Papua New Guinea's West New Britain Province remains very active, spewing fine ash with silicone of a high health risk factor and fluorine/sulphur dioxide fumes which will cause acid rain. The combination of these factors will eventually destroy all crops, kill livestock, and continue to have adverse effects on human health. Therefore, human and environmental consequences of the eruption are becoming increasingly serious. Ash falls are affecting the north-northwest part of Mt Pago reaching areas of more than 10 km from the Hoskins Peninsula. Changing wind patterns have shifted previously declared low risk areas to high risk zones. Lava is continuing to flow from the vent system that extends northwest from Mt. Pago. Ground deformation is likely to continue in the western part of Witori Caldera. The Provincial Government has evacuated more than 12,000 people from villages surrounding the Mt Pago Volcano. About 8,000 people are being sheltered in seven evacuation centres around the Kimbe area. More than a third of the affected people remain at risk in their villages. Kimbe, a town of about 20,000 populations and the evacuated people, is located 35 km from Mt. Pago. Although it has not yet been affected, the entire town may need to be evacuated in the event of a large scale of eruption, which remains possible. The Pago volcano is currently at the ORANGE alert level. (From UN-OCHA)"
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