Overall Green alert Volcanic eruption for White Island
in New Zealand

Event summary

GREEN alert: The White Island Volcanic eruption is unlikely to require external humanitarian assistance based on the exposed population and coping capacity.

GDACS ID VO 241040
Name: White Island
Lat/Lon: -37.52 , 177.18
Event Date: 09 Dec 2019 UTC
Exposed Population 30km: Few people affected
Exposed Population 100km: About 66000 people within 100km
Max Volc. Explosivity Index VEI: 3
Population Exposure Index PEI: 2
Inserted at: 09 Dec 2019 14:59 UTC

GDACS Score

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Virtual OSOCC
Meteo assessment
Satellite products
Analytical products
New Zealand - Volcanic eruption (ECHO 09 Dec 2019)Mon, 09 Dec 2019 11:09

  • On 9 December at 01:10 UTC, Whakaari/White Island volcano, located approximately 51 km north of North Island, erupted an ash plume approximately 3.66 km high above the crater.
  • According to media, there are 5 deaths, 20 injured (of which 7 hardly injured) and 2 dozen reported missing.
  • Search and rescue operations are underway. However, access to the island is difficult due to ashfall that appears to be hovering over the island.
  • People living on the island are warned to beware of ashfall, close all windows and doors and wear a dust mask.
New Zealand - Volcanic eruption update (ECHO 10 Dec 2019)Tue, 10 Dec 2019 11:10

  • Following the eruption of Whakaari/White Island volcano on 9 December at 1.11 UTC (14.11 local time), 5 people have died, 8 people are missing and 31 have been injured and are hospitalised in seven health centres.
  • According to the Geological hazard information for New Zealand, the volcanic activity is weakening with localised steam and mud jetting from the active vent area but a level 4 alert is still in place.
  • The New Zealand Police are still conducting aerial surveys and the National Authorities continue to monitor the volcano for further signs of activity.
New Zealand - Volcanic eruption update (ECHO 12 Dec 2019)Thu, 12 Dec 2019 11:01

  • 8 are confirmed dead folllowing the eruption of Whakaari/White Island volcano on 9 December. 8 are still missing but presumed dead.
  • According to the geological hazard information service for New Zealand, there have been no further eruptions but volcanic tremors are still frequent, as well as steam and mud bursts.
  • A level 2 alert is in place as well as an orange aviation code. 
New Zealand - Volcanic eruption update Fri, 13 Dec 2019 10:58

  • The eruption of Whakaari/White Island volcano (located north of North Island) occurred on 9 December at 1:11 UTC (14:11 local time), caused 14 fatalities, as of 13 December. In addition, national authorities report 2 people still missing and 17 more injured.
  • According to the Geological hazard information for New Zealand (GeoNet), no further eruptions have occurred since 9 December.
  • The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2 (moderate to heightened volcanic unrest) and the Aviation Colour Code remains at Orange, as of 13 December.
New Zealand - Volcanic eruption update Mon, 16 Dec 2019 11:00

  • Following the Whakaari/White Island volcano (located north of North Island) eruption on 9 December, 16 are confirmed dead, 2 people stil missing and 27 injured.
  • According to the Geological hazard information for New Zealand (GeoNet), no further eruptions have occurred since 9 December.
  • The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2 (moderate to heightened volcanic unrest) and the Aviation Colour Code remains at Orange, as of 16 December.
Detailed event map. European Union, 2024. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

Updates on volcanic activity (Smithsonian)

The Smithsonian/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report provides information about global volcanism on a weekly basis. Latest White Island report has been published on 04 Dec 2019 07:09.
On 3 December GeoNet reported that unrest at White Island had continued during the previous week. Explosive gas-and-steam-driven fountaining occurred from the active vent area on the W side of the 1978/90 Crater Complex, near the 2012 lava dome, at the back of the crater lake. Mud and debris were ejected 20-30 m above the vent. The Volcanic Alert Level remained at 2 and the Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow. Source: GeoNet
See the detail here

Latest media headlines

Articles: 571 | About casualties: 29 | Last hour: 0

Actualités du monde Nouvelle-Zélande: l'armée ira chercher les victime ... Thu, 12 Dec 2019 23:40:00 +0100.

Des équipes seront envoyées "dès l'apparition des premières lueurs du jour", a expliqué Mike Clement, un responsable de la police, même si au cours des 24 prochaines heures les risques d'une nouvelle éruption importante sont évalués à 50-60
...(more)
Nueva Zelanda lanza una arriesgada misión para recuperar a las víctima ... Thu, 12 Dec 2019 21:46:00 +0100.

WHAKATANE (NUEVA ZELANDA), 12 (Reuters/EP) Las Fuerzas Armadas de Nueva Zelanda han puesto en marcha este jueves una arriesgada misión para recuperar los cadáveres de las ocho personas que han muerto por la erupción volcánica en Isla Blanca
...(more)
Nouvelle-Zélande : des opérations de secours à haut risqueThu, 12 Dec 2019 15:51:00 +0100.

Les autorités néo-zélandaises espèrent toujours récupérer les corps de huit personnes, portées disparues après l'éruption d'un volcan lundi sur l'île de White Island. Six d'entre eux ont pu été localisés par des drones et des hélicoptères,
...(more)
Nouvelle-Zélande: l'armée ira chercher les victimes restées sur le vol ... Thu, 12 Dec 2019 15:38:00 +0100.

Nouvelle-Zélande: l'armée ira chercher les victimes restées sur le volcan. Quatre jours après l'éruption du volcan de White Island en Nouvelle-Zélande, l'armée va se rendre sur l'île malgré les risques élevés d'une nouvelle éruption, pour
...(more)

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Estimated casualties (PAGER)

USGS estimates the number of casualties for each earthquake for the Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) product.
The graph shows the current fatalities estimate.

Exposed population

Analytical products

Daily Maps:

03/Feb/2020 02:27 UTC

Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EC-JRC (32), INFORM (1), (1),