Loud sounds heard from White Island crater

Visitors to White Island this week reported loud sounds coming from the active crater. Photo / GeoNet

Visitors to White Island this week reported loud sounds coming from the active crater. GeoNet duty volcanologist Agnes Mazot GeoNet sand the noises were probably came from gas and steam vents on the western side of the crater being drowned as the crater lake level rises.

But volcanic activity levels remained low, she said.

the crater lake was starting to reform and volcanic activity was low.
The loud sounds heard mid last month and again this week came from vents on the 2012 lava intrusion, the main source of gas and steam in the main crater.

In the past few weeks water has ponded on the crater floor, reforming the lake. Volcanic activity was confined to the gas-rich vents on the west side of the crater and hot, clear gas continues to be emitted, also at low levels, she said.

"The rising lake level and drowning of some gas-steam vents has occurred in the past and minor steam-driven activity has occurred near these vents," Mazot said.

"The current lake level rise is likely to do the same and the effects are likely to only be local to the vents. Seismic activity on the volcano during the last month has been at low levels, punctuated occasionally by weak volcanic tremors and regional earthquakes nearby."

The Volcanic Alert Level remained at Level 1 and the Aviation Colour code at green.

GeoNet continues to monitor the volcano.

The crater lake at White Island (Whakaari) is in the process of reforming, which has prompted us to issue a Volcanic Alert Bulletin. Volcanic activity remains at a low level and is local to the crater lake site. The alert level remains at 1.https://t.co/ZFN7JYN7qy pic.twitter.com/wR56X2jV5p

— GeoNet (@geonet) May 30, 2018