Activity Less On White Island

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30727, 17 April 1965, Page 3

Activity Less On White Island

(New Zealand Press Association)

ROTORUA, April 16.

White Island is cooling down. Scientists who have just returned from the volcanic cone off the Bay of Plenty found it less active than in 1958, when the last expedition was made.

But the island’s crater is by no means extinct, a member of the party, Mr E. F. Lloyd, of the Geological Survey, said yesterday. “It could still erupt at any time. “Over-all activity has lessened slightly since our last visit. This is an understandable phase because in the intervening period there have been a number of large ash eruptions,” he said. “Activity is now on the wane—possibly only for a few weeks or months. If the island begins to heat up again we can expect more eruptions.”

Apart from mapping changes in the main crater area, the six-man party gathered data on rock structures, volcanic gases, and other subjects.

One of the most important tasks was the taking of magnetic readings which may give scientists an idea of the size of the magna chamber under the crater.

The magna chamber is the reservoir containing liquid lava. These readings were taken by Mr G. K. Dawson, a Wairakei chemist: A suggestion that White Island might make a good testing ground for astronauts was made by Dr. R. Clayton, a member of the American Apollo Moon project. The crater is thought to be similar to those likely to be encountered when men land on the moon.