Whakaari / White Island’s volcanic alert level has been raised after a minor eruption sent ash towards East Cape this afternoon.
“Whakaari/White Island produced a more vigorous plume this afternoon, transporting minor volcanic ash to the east of the volcano. There is a low probability of this ash affecting the mainland,” GeoNet said today in a volcanic activity bulletin.
The government agency said volcanic activity “appears to have been most active from around 1pm to 3pm and has since diminished”.
“Satellite data shows that the plume appears to have contained a minor amount of volcanic ash.
“As a result of these observations, the Volcanic Alert Level has been raised to Level 3 (minor eruption) and the Aviation Colour Code has been raised to Orange.”
Alert Level 3 indicated there were eruption hazards near the vent.
Aviation Colour Code Orange meant a volcano was exhibiting heightened unrest with an increased likelihood of eruption, or a volcanic eruption was underway with no or minor ash emission.
GeoNet said Whakaari “started producing a plume carrying a low concentration of volcanic ash” from around 1pm, with the current wind direction from the west dispersing ash “ENE of the island, towards the northern end of East Cape”.
“Without sensors on the island, we continue to rely on remote cameras and satellite imagery and because of this, short-term changes in activity are difficult for us to identify,” volcanologist Geoff Kilgour said.
“Changes in activity could occur at short notice, and for now, we expect the eruptive activity to diminish over the coming hours.
“Whakaari is currently experiencing a period of elevated unrest and short-lived steam and ash emissions could continue for some time. We will provide an update on Monday, or earlier should there be any significant change in activity over the weekend.”
The bulletin also noted GNS Science’s National Geohazards Monitoring Centre and Volcano Monitoring Group would continue to “closely monitor Whakaari/White Island for further changes in unrest”.
Boats warned away from the island
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council issued a message on behalf of the Harbourmaster this evening advising boats to “avoid the area around Whakaari until further notice”.
“People put themselves and their vessels at risk of harm by being close to the island if there is a further eruption,” a post on social media read.
“There may also be debris and ashfall around Whakaari, so please navigate with caution.”
