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Rabaul caldera
Tavurvur spewing ash in February 2009. To the right is Turangan, and Kombiu is partly visible behind Turangan.
Rabaul caldera
Elevation	688 metres (2,260 ft) [1]
Location	East New Britain, Papua New Guinea
Coordinates	4°16′16″S 152°12′11″E / 4.27111°S 152.20306°E / -4.27111; 152.20306Coordinates: 4°16′16″S 152°12′11″E / 4.27111°S 152.20306°E / -4.27111; 152.20306
Type	Pyroclastic shield (active)
Last eruption	2008 [1]
Listing	List of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea

Tavurvur

Vulcan

Rabaul caldera is a large volcano situated in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. It derives its name from the town of Rabaul situated inside the caldera. The highest of its multiple peaks is 688 metres (2,260 ft).

The sub-vent of Tavurvur is the most visibly active, continuously throwing ash. In 1994 it, along with nearby Vulcan erupted and devastated Rabaul, however, due to planning for such a catastrophe, the townsfolk were prepared and only five people were killed. One of the deaths was caused by lightning, a feature of volcanic ash clouds.

In 1937 it erupted killing more than 500 people. This event lead to the founding of the Rabaul Volcano Observatory which watches over the many active volcanoes on Papua New Guinea.^[2] One eruption over several days in March 2008 released a plume of ash and water vapor that drifted northwest over the Bismarck Sea.^[3]

Dunes of volcanic ash near Tarvurvur

References

Rabaul eruption plume, viewed from the Space Shuttle, September 1994

A space radar image of Rabaul caldera

A truecolour image of Rabaul Caldera from space