| The acid lake at the centre of White Island is clearly visible. There is continuous eruption of steam from a vent under the top right-hand corner of the lake. The temperature of the lake is about 90 degrees Celsius. Geologists used to get water samples from the lake by having a helicopter hover over the lake while they dropped a glass bottle down to collect their sample. The helicopter pilots no longer do this. The hightly acidic steam from the lake was eating away at the metal on the underside of the helicopters. | |
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The crater walls are undergoing severe erosion. Rainwater cuts into the extremely friable volcanic ash. If this volcano were not continuously active, erosion from rainwater and from ocean waves would cause this island to disappear within a short period of time. |
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This is the crater floor. The channels created by rainwater can be clearly seen. The surrounding rock is mostly volcanic ash. The yellow colour of the crater walls in the background is due to sulphur. |
| Fumaroles or steam vents are common on the island. In many cases they are surrounded by sulphur crystals. |  |
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Another view of the crater floor. Here the ground is covered with rocks thrown out of the vent during recent eruptions. |
| I visited this volcano six weeks after a geological survey was done of the island. Geologists surveyed the crater, and placed markers at one meter elevations starting at the existing level of the lake surface. During those six weeks the level of the lake has risen more than 12 meters. Geologists studying the island have set up an informal betting pool. The most common prediction for a major eruption is August of 2004. |  |