Geologic Background
Lamington is an andesitic stratovolcano with a
1.3-km-wide breached summit crater containing a lava
dome. Prior to its renowned devastating eruption in 1951,
the forested peak had not been recognized as a volcano.
Mount Lamington rises 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.
Historic Activity:
- 1951 to 1956 eruption. Mount Lamington sprang
suddenly to life in 1951, producing a powerful explosive
eruption during which devastating pyroclastic flows and
surges swept all sides of the volcano, killing nearly
3,000 persons. The eruption concluded with growth of a
560-m-high lava dome in the summit crater.
Recent Activity:
- Most of the 1951 summit crater dome has a dense
canopy of vegetation, broken only by a number to thermal
areas scattered around the summit. Since the 1951
eruption, seismic activity has been absent to rare.
- Seismic records on Dec 21, 2000 and Feb 17, 2001
showed several hours of very high seismicity.
Data Sources:
- Global Volcanism Network (V. 16, No. 11, V. 26, No.
6).
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