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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/07/surprise-awakening-of-papua-new-guinea-volcano-forces-evacuations
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| Surprise awakening of Papua New Guinea volcano forces evacuations | Surprise awakening of Papua New Guinea volcano forces evacuations |
| (13 days later) | |
| An island volcano in Papua New Guinea has begun spewing ash into the air, forcing the evacuation of more than 500 residents, media and non-profit groups have said. | An island volcano in Papua New Guinea has begun spewing ash into the air, forcing the evacuation of more than 500 residents, media and non-profit groups have said. |
| Kadovar Island, a 365 metre tall volcanic island just north-east of PNG, was thought to be dormant until it began erupting on 5 January. | Kadovar Island, a 365 metre tall volcanic island just north-east of PNG, was thought to be dormant until it began erupting on 5 January. |
| “It’s just a continuous emission of volcanic ash at the moment,” said Cheyne O’Brien, a forecaster at the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. | “It’s just a continuous emission of volcanic ash at the moment,” said Cheyne O’Brien, a forecaster at the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. |
| Avoid approaching island: RVO https://t.co/pIXfEfBK3t | Avoid approaching island: RVO https://t.co/pIXfEfBK3t |
| Ash clouds had reached a height of 2,133 metres, forming a plume that was travelling west-north-west, said O’Brien. A change in wind direction could hit operations at PNG’s Wewak airport, O’Brien added. | Ash clouds had reached a height of 2,133 metres, forming a plume that was travelling west-north-west, said O’Brien. A change in wind direction could hit operations at PNG’s Wewak airport, O’Brien added. |
| All residents of the island have been evacuated with no loss of life, said the US-based charity Samaritan Aviation, which operates seaplanes to remote areas of PNG. | All residents of the island have been evacuated with no loss of life, said the US-based charity Samaritan Aviation, which operates seaplanes to remote areas of PNG. |
| An estimated 500-600 people live on the island. The eruption may become explosive, with a risk of tsunamis and landslides, according to comments attributed to PNG’s Rabaul Volcanolo Observatory by Loop PNG. | An estimated 500-600 people live on the island. The eruption may become explosive, with a risk of tsunamis and landslides, according to comments attributed to PNG’s Rabaul Volcanolo Observatory by Loop PNG. |
| There were no confirmed records of a previous eruption of Kadovar, said Chris Firth, a vulcanologist at Macquarie University, but scientists speculated it could have been one of two “burning islands” mentioned in the journals of the 17th-century English pirate and maritime adventurer William Dampier. | There were no confirmed records of a previous eruption of Kadovar, said Chris Firth, a vulcanologist at Macquarie University, but scientists speculated it could have been one of two “burning islands” mentioned in the journals of the 17th-century English pirate and maritime adventurer William Dampier. |
| Dampier may have recorded the last eruption of Kadovar during a voyage in search of Terra Australis, the southern continent once thought to be mythical, Firth said. | Dampier may have recorded the last eruption of Kadovar during a voyage in search of Terra Australis, the southern continent once thought to be mythical, Firth said. |
| Vulcanologists were interested to observe its behaviour, Firth added. “It’s hard to predict what might happen as there’s nothing to compare it to.” | Vulcanologists were interested to observe its behaviour, Firth added. “It’s hard to predict what might happen as there’s nothing to compare it to.” |
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