Mount Lamington
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Mount Lamington is an andesitic stratovolcano in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. Prior to the devastating eruption in 1951, the forested peak had not been recognized as a volcano.
The volcano rises to 1680m above the coastal plain north of the Owen Stanley Range. A summit complex of lava domes and crater remnants rises above a low-angle base of volcaniclastic deposits that are dissected by radial valleys. A prominent broad "avalanche valley" extends northward from the breached crater.
1951 Eruption
Mount Lamington began to erupt on the night of 18th January, 1951. Three days later there was a violent eruption when a large part of the northern side of the mountain was blown away and devastating pyroclastic flows (steam and smoke) poured from the gap for a considerable time afterwards.
The area of extreme damage extended over a radius of about 12km's, while people near Higaturu, 14km's from the volcano, were killed by the blast or burned to death. The pyroclastic flows and subsequent eruptions of dust and ash which filled streams and tanks, caused the death of some 3,000 to 4,000 persons, and considerable damage.
Rescue parties which arrived on the scene were hampered by suffocating pumice dust and sulphurous fumes, and hot ashes on the ground. The advance post of relief workers at Popondetta was threatened with destruction by other eruptions during the several days following. Further tremors and explosions occurred during February. As late as March the 5th a major eruption occurred which threw large pieces of the volcanic dome as far as three kilometres and caused a flow of pumice and rocks for a distance of 14 km's, the whole being so hot as to set fire to every tree in its path.
Vulcanologist and former Australian Army Warrant Officer, George Taylor, studied the volcano during the eruption cycle. His work is credited to saving lives by informing rescue parties when it was safe to go into the area. In 1952 he was awarded a George Cross for his efforts.
External links
- [Volcano Live entry for Lamington] / John Search
- [Collection of photographs and colour slides from the 1951 eruption of Mt Lamington, Papua New Guinea] / Albert Speer - held and partially digitised by the National Library of Australia
- [George Cross Database on George Taylor]
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