Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Rabaul volcano, located on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea (PNG) features a breached flooded caldera open to the sea (Fig. 19.1). The volcano is located proximate to the junction of the South Bismarck, Solomon Sea and South Bismarck tectonic plates, is tectonically active and one of the most active and most dangerous volcanoes in PNG. Past effusive and violent eruptions resulted in a beached sea flooded caldera about 6000 BP (Williams 2013). The volcano has a history of effusive basaltic eruptions, dacitic and rhyolitic explosive eruptions and strombolian eruptions. The caldera has a number of volcanoes including Tovanumbatir, Kabiu, Turangunan, Tavurvur and Vulcan (Green et al. 1986). The highest point of the Rabaul caldera rises 688 m above the sea and features remnants of a shield formed by past pyroclastic flow deposits.