Manam (Papua New Guinea): Recorded Eruptions and Historical Activity

Manam is a stratovolcano located in Papua New Guinea, standing at an elevation of 1,807 meters above sea level within a subduction zone tectonic setting. According to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, the official record documents 41 confirmed eruptions spanning from the 17th century CE to the 21st century CE. The earliest recorded eruption in this dataset began on July 6, 1616 CE.

Historical Eruption Timeline and Century Distribution

Historical activity at Manam has been documented across multiple centuries, with varying frequencies of recorded events. The distribution of the 41 confirmed eruptions across centuries includes:

• 17th century CE: 3 recorded eruptions (beginning with the 1616 CE event)
• 19th century CE: 5 recorded eruptions
• 20th century CE: 24 recorded eruptions
• 21st century CE: 9 recorded eruptions (up to the latest structured records)

Representative historical milestones illustrate the span of observation methods and activity areas over the centuries. For instance, early reported observations include an eruption starting on July 6, 1616 CE (with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2.0), an event lasting from July 2, 1909 CE to July 2, 1914 CE, and a mid-20th-century eruption occurring between April 16, 1953 CE and August 16, 1953 CE.

Notable Multi-Year and Higher-VEI Events

While many recorded eruptions feature lower Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) values, others involve extended activity areas or higher magnitudes. For example, an eruption spanning from March 4, 1974 CE to November 9, 1999 CE involved activity at both the South Crater and Main Crater, reaching a VEI of 3.0.

The largest recorded VEI in the official dataset is 4.0. A notable event starting on June 10, 2018 CE, across the Southern and Main Craters, concluded on March 16, 2026 CE with a VEI of 4.0. The Smithsonian profile notes a last known eruption year of 2026, while the retrieval date for these records is August 28, 2026.