Tuluman Volcano - John Seach


St Andrew Strait, Admiralty Islands, Manus Province,
Papua New Guinea

2.38 S, 147.35 E
summit elevation 270 m
complex volcano

St Andrew Strait is about 45 km southsoutheast of Lorengau on Manus Island. Most of the islands border the southeastern side of the Strait, where they comprise a prominent 30 km chain.

Tuluman Volcano lies in an area of infrequent earthquakes and is not directly associated with a tectonic plate boundary. It can be considered an intraplate volcano. Tuluman volcano emerged above sea level during eruptions which began in 1953. Six vents were active during the eruptions, and two islands were formed.

Vent 1. Located 1.3 km SSE of Lou Island. Emerged above the surface for two months, but as reduced to a submarine mound by wave action.
Vents 2,4,5. These three vents combined to form an island, 2km south of Lou Island. The island reached a maximum length of 1km.
Vent 3. Located 1.3 km south of Lou Island. The irregular shaped island reached a maximum length of 400m.
Vent 6. Vent 6 is submerged and located 300m south of vent 5

Lou Island
Located a few km north of Tuluman volcano, and is one of the main sources of obsidian trading for the Lapita peoples of ancient melanesia. Lou island erupted in 350 AD and 240 BC). The rocks are high in silica. There are 12 eruptive centres on the island. Each volcano on the island has a summit crater filled by a lava flow.

Tuluman Volcano Eruptions

Tuluman 1883, 1953-57
Lou island 240 BC, 350 AD