There was an explosion from the tallest volcano in Papua New Guinea that caused concerns about a possible tsunami in the region. However, the activity calmed down on Tuesday, although there was still a large amount of ash in the air and covering nearby roofs and palm trees.

The eruption of Mount Ulawun, one of the busiest volcanoes in the South Pacific, occurred on Monday and released ash reaching up to 15 kilometers (50,000 feet).

The Geohazards Management Division of Papua New Guinea stated that although the eruption has been reduced from the highest alert level since Monday, there are no indications that it is coming to an end.

The volcanic activity on the isolated island of New Britain in the northeast garnered global interest when Japanese officials stated they were evaluating the potential impact of tsunami waves on the Izu and Ogasawara islands.

However, some experts in the study of volcanoes are skeptical that Ulawun will ever become a significant danger. The government of Papua New Guinea has declared that the threat is minimal.

According to Brad Scott, a volcanologist from GNS Science in New Zealand, the possibility of a tsunami is very low since the volcano is located far away from the sea.

According to the division, the volcano remains active and its eruption, which occurs at a height of 2,334 meters (7,657 feet) above sea level, may continue without an end in sight.

On Tuesday, the Papua New Guinea division stated that the ash plume reached a height of 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) before disappearing into the clouds.

Volcanic ash can travel far distances through wind and pose a danger to aviation. On Tuesday, a dense plume of ash spread many kilometers to the northwest from Mount Ulawun.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea did not immediately respond to an email asking if air travel was being affected. The FlightAware tracking website showed normal activity Tuesday at the nearest large airports, in the national capital Port Moresby and in Honiara, the Solomon Islands capital.

The Darwin-based Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in northern Australia, located approximately 2,300 kilometers (1,400 miles) southwest of Ulawun, was one of the initial establishments to identify the eruption using satellite technology.

Darwin is among nine global centers that offer counsel to the aviation industry regarding the whereabouts and trajectory of potentially dangerous volcanic ash.

The nearest large town is Bialla, which is established among palm oil plantations on Ulawun’s slopes 47 kilometers (29 miles) to the southwest, the division said. Hargy Oil Palm Ltd., a company based in Bialla, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

The company reported that thick layers of dark ash were causing the palm leaves to wilt in nearby palm oil plantations and were also building up on roofs.

According to the World Bank, the population of Bialla is over 13,000 individuals.

Papua New Guinea is located on the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped region of earthquake-prone faults surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Ulawun has experienced numerous eruptions since the 1700s, with its most recent significant eruption occurring in 2019 and resulting in the evacuation of over 5,000 individuals.

The organization stated that there have been no recorded fatalities from Ulawun’s previous volcanic activity.

The division stated that there were widespread effects such as displacement of people, damage to infrastructure, and disruption of services.

Source: wral.com