Steam and gas plumes with minor presence of volcanic ash continue to be observed, along with evidence of occasional, more explosive activity. Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2 and Aviation Colour Code remains at Orange.
Variable semi continuous steam and gas plumes with minor presence of volcanic ash continue to be observed at Whakaari / White Island. Some evidence on the crater floor of recent, intermittent explosive activity was also observed during a recent monitoring flight. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2 and the Aviation Colour Code remains at Orange.
Over the past couple of weeks, our webcams at Whakatāne and Te Kaha have continued to record steam and gas plumes with a minor but variable presence of volcanic ash. On occasions our colleagues at MetService have also detected small amounts of volcanic ash in the plume on satellite imagery. From the coast, this can sometimes be seen as a hazy plume trailing downwind from the volcano.
Recent gas and observation flights have confirmed what has been observed from the coast. Friday’s observation flight has also recorded minor changes in the active vent area, this has enlarged slightly. We also observed impact craters, suggesting that some occasional, more explosive activity has recently occurred, ejecting ballistic blocks up to about 600 m from the active vent, on the crater floor. The exact timing and number of these more explosive events is unknown, but this type of activity is not uncommon for Whakaari as active vents grow. The impact of these events remained confined to the Main Crater floor.
Thermal InfraRed temperature measurements of the active vent are also up from the previous measurements, rising from 220 °C in January to 360 °C on Friday, but remain well below the highs of over 580 °C in August 2024. Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions continue to be detected by satellite under suitable conditions. During northerly wind conditions the minor ash load in the steam and gas plume and the gas may be noticed by residents on the coast as sulphur odours.
Steam, gas, and volcanic ash emissions remain variable as they have been for the past few months. Recent activity is consistent with moderate-heightened unrest and the Volcanic Alert Level therefore remains at Level 2. Because of the continued observations of volcanic ash emissions from the volcano the Aviation Colour Code remains Orange. These levels acknowledge the current level of activity but also reflect the degree of uncertainty about the level of unrest due to the current lack of consistent, usable real-time monitoring data—volcanic activity could escalate with little or no warning. Further sudden, more explosive events could therefore affect the crater floor area and immediate vicinity of the island. The Bay of Plenty coast remains unaffected by such short-term variations in activity.
GNS Science’s Volcano Monitoring Group and National Geohazards Monitoring Centre will continue to closely monitor Whakaari/White Island for any changes in activity. Without sensors on the Island, our monitoring continues to rely on remote cameras, satellite imagery, and periodic observation and gas flights to monitor Whakaari. We will provide further updates when information becomes available.
Further information about the Volcanic Alert Levels and what they mean can be found here.
For information about the impacts of the steam and gas plume should it reach the coast, follow the advice from:
Brad Scott
Duty Volcanologist
Media contact: 021 574 541 or media@gns.cri.nz