Lamington
Stratovolcano in Papua New Guinea
Key Facts
Elevation
1,680 m (5,512 ft)
Type
Stratovolcano
Location
-8.950°, 148.150°
Region
Trobriand Volcanic Province
Rock Type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Tectonic Setting
Subduction zone
Location
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Overview
Lamington is an andesitic stratovolcano with a 1. 3-km-wide breached summit crater containing a lava dome that rises above the coastal plain of the Papuan Peninsula of New Guinea north of the Owen Stanley Range. A summit complex of lava domes and crater remnants tops a low-angle base of volcaniclastic deposits dissected by radial valleys.
A prominent broad "avalanche valley" extends northward from the breached crater. Ash layers from two early Holocene eruptions have been identified. In 1951 a powerful explosive eruption produced pyroclastic flows and surges that swept all sides of the volcano, killing nearly 3,000 people.
The eruption concluded with growth of a 560-m-high lava dome in the summit crater.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
- Pyroclastic flows
- Lava flows
- Volcanic bombs and ballistics
- Lahars and mudflows
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | 70 years ago | Historical | Recently active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in Southwestern Pacific Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 253010
- •Evidence: Eruption Observed
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
Mount Lamington, seen here from the north in late 1951, has a 1.3-km-wide summit crater containing a lava dome. Prior to its disastrous eruption in 1951, the forested peak had not been recognized as a volcano. The 1951 eruption produced pyroclastic flows and surges that devastated all sides of the volcano, killing nearly 3,000 people. The eruption concluded with growth of a 560-m-high lava dome in the summit crater.
Photo by Tony Taylor, 1951 (courtesy of Wally Johnson, Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources).
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.