Activity on White island

Volcanic alert after activity on White Island

Activity on White Island has increased in the last 24 hours, prompting GNS Science to issue a low level volcanic alert

TVNZ,

26 July, 2012

Volcanologists visited the island today following an increase in volcanic tremor levels last night, GNS Science said.

They found two types of activity, volcanologist Brad Scott said.

"Audible jets of gas were being shot through the small lake and broader expanding bubbles of dark lake sediments and debris were being ejected 20-30 metres vertically," he said.

GNS Science has issued a level one volcanic alert and the aviation code has been lifted to yellow.

It is similar to the volcanic activity that happened earlier in February, when the volcano spewed ash into the air and the volcanic alert level was raised to two.

GNS Science said there was no reason to believe the activity was related to the recent Cook Strait earthquakes.