Ambae

Ambae is the most voluminous volcano in the New Hebrides arc at approximately 2,500 km3 — the vast majority of this volume lies beneath the Pacific Ocean.

The 2017-2018 eruption forced the complete evacuation of all ~11,000 residents of Ambae, one of the largest volcanic evacuations in Pacific Island history.

Ambae's summit contains three crater lakes — Manaro Ngoru, Voui, and Manaro Lakua — a rare triple-lake summit configuration among the world's active volcanoes.

Lake Voui changes color dramatically during eruptions, shifting from blue-green to red, gray, or brown depending on volcanic gas input and suspended sediment.

Ambae has erupted seven times between 2005 and 2025, making it one of the most frequently active volcanoes in the southwestern Pacific during this period.

Acid rain from Ambae's eruptions has repeatedly devastated the island's vegetation, turning tropical forests brown and poisoning rainwater collection systems — the island's primary freshwater source.

A tuff cone built within Lake Voui first emerged as a small island during the 2005 eruption and has grown with each subsequent event.

The Australian Plate subducts beneath the Pacific Plate at the New Hebrides Trench at approximately 9 cm per year — one of the fastest convergence rates on Earth — fueling Ambae's activity.

Despite being classified as a shield volcano, Ambae produces explosive eruptions enhanced by magma-water interaction in the crater lakes (phreatomagmatic eruptions).

The 2017-2018 evacuation displaced communities for months, causing food insecurity and social disruption as entire villages were relocated to neighboring islands.