Whakaari/White island: Bad weather wipes out last remaining sensors

Whakaari/White Island.

Bad weather has wiped out the last remaining sensors on Whakaari/White Island. However, GeoNet says it has not detected significant changes in activity at the volcano over the past few months.

Whakatāne-based webcam images and monitoring flights confirmed continuing steam and gas plumes from the volcanic island with no significant changes in the active crater, GeoNet said in a statement.

“Following the recent severe weather, one of our surviving on-island sites has not recovered.

“Consequently, we can no longer receive data from the North Rim webcam and the Crater Floor GNSS (GPS) sensor. These were our last remaining reliable sensors on the island,” GeoNet said.

The Volcanic Alert Level at the island remained at two - denoting moderate to heightened volcanic unrest.

GeoNet said its most recent flights last month showed the steam and gas plume continued to originate from the same vent locations as previously observed, with no evidence of ash emission or eruptive activity from the vents.

“We obtain satellite-based ground deformation data approximately every 10 days that allows us to observe ground deformation trends.

“These are complemented by daily satellite-based sulphur dioxide emission measurements, although this technique is not as sensitive as our gas measurements during flights.

“Neither of these satellite techniques have detected significant changes in the overall activity at the volcano over the past few months.”

Whaakari/White Island erupted in December 2019, killing 22 people.