🌋VolcanoAtlas

Witori

Papua New Guinea's Caldera Giant

Elevation

724 m

Last Eruption

2012

Type

Caldera

Country

Papua New Guinea

Location

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Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

  • Pyroclastic flows and surges
  • Large explosive eruptions (VEI 4+)
  • Ash fall and tephra deposits
  • Lahars and debris flows

Risk Level

Population at RiskLow
Infrastructure RiskHigh
Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary
Unknown
Silica Content
Varied composition

Tectonic Setting

Unknown
Intraplate setting with hotspot or regional volcanic activity.

Age & Formation

Epoch
Unknown
Evidence
Unknown

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
Recent Activity14 years agoRecentRecently active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program
International eruption database

Current Status

Watch
Dormant but monitored. Capable of renewed activity.

Authority Sources

Smithsonian GVP
Official volcano database

Related Volcanoes

All Papua New Guinea Volcanoes
Explore by country
Caldera Volcanoes
By volcano type
Bismarck Volcanic Arc
Regional volcanoes

Other Volcanoes in Papua New Guinea

Interesting Facts

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Witori has produced at least three VEI 6 eruptions in the past 6,000 years — approximately 4000 BCE, 1370 BCE, and 710 CE — making it one of the most explosively productive calderas in the Holocene.

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Pyroclastic-flow deposits from Witori's largest eruptions extend more than 100 km from the caldera, covering vast areas of central New Britain.

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The Pago cone inside the caldera is less than 350 years old but has already grown above the caldera rim and produced at least ten distinct dacitic lava flows covering most of the caldera floor.

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The 5.5 × 7.5 km Witori caldera was formed by at least five major collapse events between approximately 5600 and 1200 years ago.

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Witori's VEI 6 eruptions recur on a roughly millennial timescale, with the most recent occurring over 1,300 years ago — placing the system within its historical recurrence window.

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The Buru caldera, a smaller collapse structure, cuts into the southwestern flank of the Witori complex, indicating multiple collapse centers.

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New Britain hosts both Witori and Rabaul — two caldera systems that have each produced VEI 6 eruptions within the past 1,400 years.

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Tephra layers from Witori's massive eruptions are used as key chronological markers by archaeologists studying human settlement patterns across the Bismarck Archipelago.

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The 2002–2003 eruption of Pago produced dacitic lava flows that extended from the summit nearly to the northwestern caldera wall.

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Witori's dacitic magma composition makes it significantly more explosive than the basaltic volcanoes that dominate many oceanic island arcs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Witori an active volcano?
Yes, Witori is classified as an active volcano. The Pago cone within the caldera last erupted in May 2012, and has erupted multiple times in the past century. The larger Witori caldera system has produced some of the most powerful eruptions in the Pacific over the past 6,000 years, including three events reaching VEI 6. Fumarolic activity continues at the Pago summit, and volcanologists consider the system capable of future eruptions ranging from moderate cone-building events to potentially catastrophic caldera-forming eruptions.
What is the relationship between Witori and Pago?
Pago is a young volcanic cone that has grown inside the much older and larger Witori caldera. The Witori caldera, measuring 5.5 × 7.5 km, was formed by a series of massive collapse events between approximately 5600 and 1200 years ago. Pago began growing within this caldera less than 350 years ago and has since risen above the caldera rim. All historical eruptions at the complex have originated from the Pago cone, while the prehistoric VEI 5–6 eruptions were caldera-scale events involving the broader Witori system.
How big were Witori's largest eruptions?
Witori has produced at least three eruptions reaching VEI 6 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, at approximately 4000 BCE, 1370 BCE, and 710 CE. VEI 6 eruptions eject 10–100 cubic kilometers of material and are classified as 'colossal.' For comparison, the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo — which affected global climate — was a VEI 6 event. Witori's eruptions generated massive pyroclastic flows and deposited tephra layers extending over 100 km from the caldera.
When did Witori last erupt?
The most recent eruption at the Witori complex occurred on May 3, 2012, when the intra-caldera Pago cone produced a VEI 2 eruption with ash emissions and minor explosive activity. The previous eruption at Pago, in 2002–2003, was more significant at VEI 3 and produced dacitic lava flows that covered portions of the caldera floor. The most recent large-scale caldera eruption was the VEI 6 event around 710 CE, over 1,300 years ago.
Could Witori produce another VEI 6 eruption?
Yes, volcanologists consider another large-scale eruption at Witori possible. The caldera has produced VEI 6 eruptions at intervals of roughly 1,000 to 2,700 years, and over 1,300 years have elapsed since the last such event around 710 CE. While the current Pago cone activity represents a much smaller scale of volcanism, the underlying magma system that produced the caldera-forming eruptions may still be capable of generating large volumes of dacitic magma. Predicting the timing of such events remains impossible with current technology.
Where is Witori located?
Witori is located on the northern coast of central New Britain island in Papua New Guinea, within the Bismarck Archipelago. The caldera sits at coordinates 5.575°S, 150.516°E, approximately 50 km southwest of Kimbe, the capital of West New Britain Province. New Britain is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago and hosts numerous other active volcanoes along its northern coast, including Ulawun and Langila.
What type of volcano is Witori?
Witori is a caldera volcano — a large collapse depression formed when massive eruptions emptied an underlying magma chamber, causing the overlying rock to subside. The Witori caldera measures 5.5 × 7.5 km and was formed through at least five major collapse events. Inside this caldera sits the Pago cone, a younger composite cone that has been the source of all historical eruptions. The volcanic complex is part of the Bismarck Volcanic Arc, generated by subduction of the Solomon Sea Plate beneath the South Bismarck Plate.