Mount Ulawun in Papua New Guinea – one of the deadliest volcanoes in the world – spewing large amounts of ash today. The column of smoke above the mountain is now miles high and experts are seriously considering a possible eruption. Residents at the foot of the volcano have already been evacuated.
Mount Ulawun is located on an island in the remote Bismarck archipelago and has erupted at least 22 times since 1700 with mostly brutal violence. In some cases, so much ash, lava, and energy were released that large parts of the land were completely destroyed and covered with a thick layer of ash. Also, many who lived near the mountain were killed. Thousands of people currently live in the shadow of the dreaded Ulawun.
Authorities call the awakened volcano ‘a big risk’. “Volcanic activity started this morning after light rumbling and ash cloud emissions,” seismologist Leo Porikura told local media. “The Rabaul Volcano Observatory in the area has issued a warning about a possible eruption.”
The Ulawun usually ‘sleeps’, which means that the volcano is not completely extinguished but constantly emits small amounts of ash. Earth ticks are also often felt and there are small eruptions in which liquid rock appears.
The magma (liquid stone, ed.) Of the Ulawun consists mainly of basalt and andesite. Research has shown that the Ulawun produces around 7 kilos of sulfur dioxide (SO2) per second. This is approximately 2 percent of the total worldwide SO2 emissions.
