Long Island (Papua New Guinea)

Long Island
Long Island seen from space, with Lake Wisdom clearly visible (false color).
Elevation	1,280 m (4,199 ft)
Prominence	1,280 m (4,199 ft)
Location
Location	Papua New Guinea
Coordinates	5°21′S 147°7′E
Geology
Type	Complex volcano
Last eruption	1993

Long Island is a volcanic island north of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by Vitiaz Strait.

Geography

Two stratovolcanoes are located on the island: Mount Reaumur and Cerisy Peak. The summit of the volcanic complex collapsed during at least three major explosive eruptions, about 16,000, 4000, and 300 years ago. These produced a large caldera 10 x 12.5 km in size, now filled with a crater lake, Lake Wisdom. The last eruption was one of the largest in Papua New Guinea's recent history with an estimated air-fall volume in excess of 11 cu km, comparable to the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, but the Global Volcanism Program gives a much higher estimate of 30 cu km. This cataclysmic event prompted legends of a "Time of Darkness". The most recent (and a smaller) eruption occurred in 1993.

History

Long Island was charted in 1643 by Abel Tasman but he mistook it for part of the New Guinea mainland.

Long Island was utilised as a barge staging area by the Imperial Japanese during World War II. On 26 December 1943, D Company of the 592d Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, 2d Engineer Special Brigade, US Army, landed on Long Island to prepare a radar station as part of the Battle of Cape Gloucester. The Royal Australian Air Force No. 338 Radar Station was set up at Matfum Point and became operational on 6 April 1944 and was to remain until March 1945.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea
• Timetable of major worldwide volcanic eruptions

References

• Global Volcanism Program: Long Island