5 Dec 2005

New Zealand scientists join Vanuatu volcano monitoring effort

3:12 pm on 5 December 2005

Three New Zealand scientists have traveled to Vanuatu to assist in the monitoring of an volcano that is threatening the island of Ambae.

Since the volcano's explosion last week , volcanic ash falling on western parts of Ambae at a rate of 2-thousand tonnes a day.

The seismic activity below Lake Vui has also forced the lake to rise up towards the top of the crater, threatening to unleash a torrent of water down every creek that is linked to the lake.

The Director of the National Disaster Management Office, Job Esau, says he hopes the new team of scientists will be able to shed more light on any potential volcanic activity on Ambae.

"They may be installing, they may have already installed all the monitoring stations yesterday afternoon and we are expecting some data to be recorded today and probably tomorrow we will be in a better position to give another update on the new development of the activity itself."

Job Esau