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Papua New Guinea · Stratovolcano

Karkar Island

Karkar

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
1839m
Last eruption
1979
Karkar Island
Photo: ISS Expedition 5 crew · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Papua New Guinea
Region
Southwestern Pacific / Bismarck Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1839m
Coordinates
-4.647, 145.976
Last eruption
1979
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic andesite

Geological summary

Karkar is a 19 x 25 km forest-covered island that is truncated by two nested summit calderas. The 5.5 km outer caldera was formed during one or more eruptions, the last of which occurred 9,000 years ago.

Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →

From Wikipedia

Karkar Island is an oval-shaped volcanic island located in the Bismarck Sea, about 74 kilometres (46 mi) off the north coast of mainland Papua New Guinea in Madang Province, from which it is separated by the Isumrud Strait. The island is about 25 km (16 mi) in length and 19 km (12 mi) in width. In the centre is an active volcano with two nested calderas.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

19 recordedGlossary

Record summary

Confirmed eruptions
11
Uncertain eruptions
8
Span of confirmed record
7140 BCE (±150 yrs) – 1979
Largest confirmed eruption
VEI 4 (730, the most recent of 3)
Confirmed eruptions since 1900
3
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
7140 BCE~6835 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 41037 BCE~732 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?488~793 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 4793~1099 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1404~1709 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31709~2014 · 13 eruptions · max VEI 37140 BCE5004 BCE2563 BCE427 BCE1709

Detailed timeline

  1. 2014VEI 1Observed
    2014-03-26 – 2014-03-27
    Uncertain
  2. 2013VEI 3Observed
    2013-01-29 – 2013-03-15
    Bagiai cone
  3. 2012VEI 3Observed
    2012-02-01 – 2012-02-01
    Unknown
  4. 2010VEI 1Observed
    2010-02-25 – 2010-02-26
    Uncertain
  5. 2009VEI ?Method not stated
    2009-05-01 – end unknown
  6. 1980VEI 1Method not stated
    1980-01-07 – 1980-01-17
  7. 1979VEI 2Observed
    1979-01-12 – 1979-08-09
    SE foot of Bagiai
  8. 1974VEI 2Observed
    1974-02-14 – 1974-08-08
    Bagiai
  9. 1974VEI 2Observed
    1974-12-30 – 1975-06-26
    Bagiai
  10. 1962VEI 2Method not stated
    1962-07-02 – end unknown
    Ulumam
  11. 1895VEI 2Observed
    1895-06-17 – 1895-08-16
  12. 1885VEI 2Observed
    1885-07-02 – end unknown
  13. 1830VEI ?Method not stated
    1830-07-02 – end unknown
  14. 1643VEI 3Observed
    1643-04-20 – end unknown
  15. 1070 (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1070 – end unknown
    South flank (Patilo Cone)
  16. 730VEI 4Geological estimate
    730 – end unknown
  17. 520 (±100 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    520 – end unknown
  18. 870 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    870 BCE – end unknown
  19. 7140 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    7140 BCE – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.