Hebrides New Volcano
p. 85 · Read in the full issue
Letter to the Editor IWAS most interested in the photo graph appearing in your issue of November, 1949, under the caption “Birth of a Pacific Island.”
As resident missionary on the island of Tongoa, New Hebrides, I have had the opportunity of watching this island from its beginning to its present stage of de velopment. Actually, the first activity in the formation of the island took place early in 1948, when a submarine volcano began eruption approximately midway between the islands of Tongoa and Epi.
The spot lies some two miles off shore from a thermal region on Tongoa and is probably from the water which was active at the end of last century when an island, which later subsided, was formed. A very graphic account of this earlier eruption is to be found in “Misi,” the autobiography of the Rev. O. Michelsen.
At the commencement of the recent ac tivity, I submitted a brief report to the Government Meteorologist in Vila, who, I understand, forwarded the observations to the Commonwealth Meteorological Bureau. Eruptions were fairly consistent over a period of approximately two months, during which time the crater threw up smoke, steam, ash and rubble; and during this period a low island (some ten feet high and about one hundred yards long) was formed. Then activity ceased and during the following south east season, the rubble was washed below the surface. The volcano was dormant for some months until in October of the same year activity recommenced with greater force. Since then the eruptions have been fairly consistent (with brief quiescent periods) so that now an island of 300 feet has been raised.
When the volcano is performing it presents a most impressive* sight. Ash
laden smoke is thrown high into the air; and, as well, molten rocks are catapulted to fall sizzling into the sea. Sometimes a few minor explosioas are followed by a large one and then activity is subdued for a matter of minutes till the perform ance is repeated. At other times as mani as five major bursts follow one another from the crater, the last issuing while the first is still ascending.
As I have not yet set foot on the island, I cannot give an accurate estimate as to area, but it must now be a few acres in extent.
I am, etc.,
Robert W. Murray.
Tongoa, New Hebrides, April 1, 1950. (Editorial Note: After our November photograph, we published (in March issue) an account of how two New Hebrides residents landed on the new island and named it Karua.)