Ritter Island

The Knights Island ( until 1880 also Volcano Iceland ) is a small crescent-shaped volcanic island 100 km northeast of New Guinea. It is located between the Siassi Islands Umboi and Sakar and is one of Papua New Guinea.

Volcano on the island of Knights

Outbreaks of the stratovolcano on the Knights Island are known from the years 1700, 1793 and 1888. End of March 1700 William Dampier observed an outbreak, and on June 29, 1793 Joseph Bruny d' Entrecasteaux saw both explosive eruptions and lava flows. Dumont d' Urville described the island in 1827 as a 780 m high volcanic cone.

On March 13, 1888 at 5:30 local time clock sank a large part of the Knights Island during a phreatomagmatic explosion of moderate to mediocre strength order ( VEI 2). About 5 km ³ of material slid into the sea. In Finschhafen, 100 km south, the explosion of an almost imperceptible ash case was heard and observed. The collapse triggered a debris avalanche. This was followed by 12-15 m high tsunami, which devastated the neighboring islands and the coast of New Guinea. About 3,000 people were killed. The German explorer von Below and Carl Hunstein, the New Britain had been in the south of the island, were drowned. After the collapse remained a 80-140 m high and 1900 m long island with a steep, west -facing semi-circular tear-off edge. To the west of the volcanic remnant form remains of two slid down in the collapse of the large island Kippschollen submarine elevations.

The volcano is still active. Smaller eruptions in 1972, 1974, 2006 and 2007 occurred.

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