Whakaari/White Island: Steam and gas emissions continue, crater lake level lowered

The Volcanic Alert Level at Whakaari / White Island remains at Level 2. Photo / NZME

Lake levels at Whakaari/White Island’s crater lake are lowering as steam and gas emissions continue.

GNS Science has reported that an observation flight conducted on December 6 found “the normal minor-moderate gas and steam plume” at the island. The plume is thought to originate from several sources behind the crater lake.

Vulcanologists also confirmed a lowering of the lake level on the island.

“Our Northern Rim web camera remains obscured,” GNS Science vulcanologist Cameron Asher said.

In September, GNS Science raised the island’s Volcanic Alert Level to Level 2, after a loss of real-time monitoring.

Monitoring equipment on the island such as web cameras had not been serviced since the December 2019 eruption.

In October, GNS Science reported observing ash emissions from Whakaari/White Island.

“There have not been any observations that support continued ash emission or other eruptive activity,” Asher said.

As of the December 6 observation flight, Asher said the island’s Volcanic Alert Level would remain at Level 2 and the Aviation Colour Code remains at Yellow.

“These acknowledge the current level of activity but also continue to acknowledge the greater level of uncertainty in our interpretation due to the current lack of consistent, useful real-time data,” Asher said.

“As the weather allows, we will continue the frequent gas and observation flights over the island until we can service our on-island equipment and power supplies.

“We have access to webcam images from the island which are greatly obscured by wind-blown muddy ash but still provide some level of visual monitoring between our flights.”

Asher said the Volcanic Alert Level was not a forecast of future activity.