End of Minor Eruptive Activity at White Island (Whakaari)
Observations from a visit to White Island on Wednesday suggest that the minor ash emission that occurred on Tuesday 13 September 2016 has ceased. The Volcanic Alert Level is lowered to 2, and the Aviation Colour code is lowered to Yellow.
Analysis of ash collected on Wednesday shows no evidence that Tuesday’s eruption was driven by new magma. Instead, gas flow dragged recently loosened material to the surface. Seismic and acoustic activity at remains low, and the gas flux from the island has not changed substantially since before Tuesday’s eruption.
Although Tuesday’s eruption has ceased, White Island is always capable of a new eruption at any time, without prior warning.
GNS Science continues to closely monitor White Island and our other active volcanoes through the GeoNet project. The Volcanic Alert Level ranges from 0 to 5 and defines the current status at a volcano. Aviation Colour Codes are based on four colours and are intended for reference only in the international civil aviation community.
Steven Sherburn Duty Volcanologist
Media Contact: Brad Scott Volcanologist
phone 07 3748211