Papua New Guinea volcano erupts and Japan says it is assessing possible tsunami risk on its islands

TOKYO — A volcano in Papua New Guinea erupted Monday and the Japan Meteorological Agency said it was assessing a possible tsunami risk for Japan’s coast.

Mount Ulawun, on Papua New Guinea’s New Britain Island, erupted around 3:30 p.m. (0630 GMT) Monday, spewing volcanic smoke up to 15,000 meters (50,000 feet), it said. the agency, citing the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. , Australia.

The agency said it was assessing possible impact, including the risk of a tsunami approaching Japan later Monday. The first waves of the tsunami could reach the islands of Izu and Ogasawara about three hours after the tremors caused by the eruption, the JMA said.

The agency has not issued any tsunami advisories or warnings. No notable changes in sea level were detected at observation sites in Japan and abroad.

Papua New Guinea’s Geohazards Management Division said volcanic activity at Ulawun began on Monday afternoon. The eruption is expected to continue indefinitely, it added, and has raised the volcano’s risk level to the highest level of four.

Ulawun is one of Papua New Guinea’s most active volcanoes, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where a large proportion of earthquakes occur and global volcanic activity. Ulawun has erupted several times since the 1700s and last had a major eruption in 2019.

Geoscience Australia, a government agency, said there was no tsunami warning for Australian waters. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Hawaii, has not issued any warnings.

JMA, however, urged coastal residents to remain cautious in the event of a delayed tsunami. He said he could not immediately predict the possible size of the waves.

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McGuirk reported from Canberra, Australia.