Minor eruption on White Island prompts increased alert level

A minor eruption has occurred onWhite Island, prompting authorities to raise the Volcanic Alert Level to 3 and the Aviation Colour Code to orange.

According to Geonet the volcano produced a more vigorous plume on Friday afternoon, dispersing volcanic ash to the east of the island. While the ash is unlikely to affect the mainland, this activity was confirmed using webcam imagery and satellite data from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre at MetService.

The eruption activity was most intense between 1 and 3 pm, but has since decreased, with satellite data indicating that the plume contained only a minor amount of volcanic ash. Geonet noted that the volcano is currently in a period of “elevated unrest,” and warned that steam and ash emissions could continue for some time.