'Greater level of unrest' at Whakaari/White leads to alert level increase

The alert level on Whakaari/White Island has been raised to level 2 as volcanic activity has increased and ash has been detected in steam and gas plumes.

In its latest volcanic alert bulletin released today, GNS Science said scientists completed a gas monitoring and observation flight over the island yesterday after webcams had revealed occasional ash deposits and a darker than usual plume had been reported from the mainland.

“The fine particles originate from the main steam vent at the back of the crater lake,” volcanologist Yannik Behr said in the report.

Yesterday’s observation flight was made after a period of wet weather in the area which had subsequently caused a pool of water to form on the floor of one of the craters.

Behr said the changes at the vent resulting in the minor ash emissions have not been observed at Whakaari/White Island in 2020 and indicate a greater level of unrest at the surface.

However, he said there are “no indications currently of a substantial change in the overall behaviour of the volcano”.

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“Overall, recent observations are consistent with moderate-heightened volcanic unrest and, therefore, the volcanic alert level is raised to level 2 and the aviation colour code to yellow,” Behr said in the report.

White Island was at alert level 2 when it erupted on December 9 last year, killing 21 people. It was moved to alert level 1 on June 16.