Based on a report by an observer from The Wilderness Lodge, a news article indicated that Kavachi recently began to erupt after a long quiet period.

24 March 2004            Back to Top

Based on a report by an observer from The Wilderness Lodge, a news article indicated that Kavachi recently began to erupt after a long quiet period.

Sources: People First Network

19 November 2003            Back to Top

An observer from The Wilderness Lodge reported that a 15-m-high island formed at Kavachi during an eruptive cycle 3 months prior to a visit on 16 November. By 16 November the summit had reduced to ~32 m below sea level. No evidence of volcanic activity was observed during the 3 previous months, which is the first time this has occurred in 4 years of observation.

Sources: The Wilderness Lodge

4 December 2002            Back to Top

According to an observer at the Kavachi Wilderness Lodge, during October to November the top of Kavachi rose above sea surface, ultimately reaching 10 m a.s.l. The island that was produced was subsequently eroded by late-season southeasterly winds and swells.

Sources: The Wilderness Lodge

30 January 2002            Back to Top

During visits to Kavachi in January, occasional explosive eruptions were seen that produced columns of steam, ash, rock, and water up to 1 km a.s.l. Sulfur slicks, small fragments of volcanic rock, and bubbles from the release of gas were visible at the sea surface. In addition, loud sounds were heard approximately every 2-15 minutes. The volcano's summit was estimated to be 60 m below sea level.

Sources: The Wilderness Lodge

16 January 2002            Back to Top

During 27 November-13 December explosive eruptions occurred daily at Kavachi. During the next observation period (on 13 January), volcanic debris and gas bubbles were seen upwelling from the submarine volcano. The latter activity was more vigorous than similar activity seen in December 2001, and it was accompanied by frequent loud noises.

Sources: The Wilderness Lodge

21 November 2001            Back to Top

A visit to Kavachi on 25 November revealed sulfur, mud, and tiny pieces of volcanic rock upwelling from the submarine volcano. The pieces of volcanic rock covered the sea surface over an area more than 100 m across. No explosive eruptions were seen during a 6 hour observation period.

Sources: The Wilderness Lodge

7 November 2001            Back to Top

As of 1 November no eruptive activity had been observed at Kavachi for about 5 weeks. Kavachi was watched from the coast of Gatokae Island, at a post about 26 km from the volcano. Low-level activity may well have occurred that was not visible from this observation post.

Sources: The Wilderness Lodge

26 September 2001            Back to Top

Kavachi erupted daily during August through mid-September. During August ash and volcanic projectiles were observed rising 400 m above sea level and the glow from the volcano was visible from the coast of Gatokae Island, 32 km away.

Sources: The Wilderness Lodge

Below is a summary of eruption dates and Volcanic Explosivity Indices (VEI).

The following references are the sources used for data regarding this volcano. References are linked directly to our volcano data file. Discussion of another volcano or eruption (sometimes far from the one that is the subject of the manuscript) may produce a citation that is not at all apparent from the title. Additional discussion of data sources can be found under Volcano Data Criteria.

Baker E T, Massoth G J, de Ronde C E J, Lupton J E, McInnes B I A, 2002. Observations and sampling of an ongoing subsurface eruption of Kavachi volcano, Solomon Islands, May 2000. {Geology}, 30: 975-978

Exon N F, Johnson R W, 1986. The elusive Cook volcano and other submarine forearc volcanoes in the Solomon Islands. {Aust Bur Min Resour Geol Geophys J}, 10: 77-83

Fisher N H, 1957. Melanesia. {Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields}, Rome: IAVCEI, 5: 1-105

Grover J C, 1968. Submarine volcanoes and oceanographic observations in the New Georgia Group, 1963-64. {Brit Solomon Is Geol Rec, 1963-67 Rpt}, 96: 116-125

Johnson R W, Tuni D, 1987. Kavachi, an active forearc volcano in the western Solomon Islands: reported eruptions between 1950 and 1982. {In}: Taylor B and Exon N F (eds) {Marine Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry of the Woodlark Basin, Solomon Islands}, Circum-Pacific Council Energy Min Resour Earth Sci Ser, 7: 89-112

Okrugin V M, 1985. Information note on the results of the 7th cruise of the R/V 'Vulcanolog' in the vicinity of the Solomon Islands. {Solomon Is Geol Div File Rpt}, unpublished rpt

Petterson M G, Wallace S, Tolia D, 2001. Explosive Surtseyan eruptions from Kavachi, Solomon Islands in 1961, 1970, 1976, 1991, 1998, and 1999. {Unpublished manuscript}, 8 p

Smithsonian Institution-GVN, 1990-. [Monthly event reports]. {Bull Global Volc Network}, v 15-33

Kavachi, one of the most active submarine volcanoes in the SW Pacific, occupies an isolated position in the Solomon Islands far from major aircraft and shipping lanes. Kavachi, sometimes referred to as Rejo te Kvachi ("Kavachi's Oven"), is located south of Vangunu Island only about 30 km north of the site of subduction of the Indo-Australian plate beneath the Pacific plate. The shallow submarine basaltic-to-andesitic volcano has produced ephemeral islands up to 1 km long many times since its first recorded eruption during 1939. Residents of the nearby islands of Vanguna and Nggatokae (Gatokae) reported "fire on the water" prior to 1939, a possible reference to earlier submarine eruptions. The roughly conical volcano rises from water depths of 1.1-1.2 km on the north and greater depths to the south. Frequent shallow submarine and occasional subaerial eruptions produce phreatomagmatic explosions that eject steam, ash, and incandescent bombs above the sea surface. On a number of occasions lava flows were observed on the surface of ephemeral islands.