Dakataua

Dakataua
Dakataua lake on the north tip of the Willaumez Peninsula, left of the Pago volcano. On the right there is a steam plume over the sea from the Ulawun volcano.
Highest point
Elevation	400 m (1,300 ft)
Coordinates	5°3′20″S150°6′30″E / 5.05556°S 150.10833°E / -5.05556; 150.10833
Geography
Dakataua New Britain, Papua New Guinea
Geology
Mountain type	Stratovolcano
Volcanic arc	Bismarck volcanic arc
Last eruption	1895 ± 5 years

The Dakataua Caldera is located at the northern tip of the Willaumez Peninsula, New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The peninsula includes the 350 m high andesitic Mount Makalia stratovolcano. ^[1] The last major collapse of Dakataua was during the Holocene around 800 CE. ^[2] The most recent eruption on the caldera's rim was Mount Makalia in 1890, producing lava flows and cinder cones. ^[3]

Caldera lake

Dakataua's caldera lake is about 76 m above sea level; it has a total surface area of 48 km² (19 sq mi) and a maximum depth of approximately 120 m. ^[4] It is horseshoe shaped, roughly bisected by a peninsula. ^[1] It is a freshwater lake that is alkaline with a pH of up to 8.2. It is presumed to be formed by rainwater gradually filling in the caldera. ^[5] While the lake supports various kinds of life, it does not support any species of fish. ^[6]

Migo the Lake Monster

There is a folk legend that a monster called the migo (or masali) inhabits the lake. In 1993 a Japanese film crew led by Tetsuo Nagata captured what they claimed to be the migo on film. It is presumed that the creature in the video is actually a saltwater crocodile from the ocean surrounding the lake. ^[7]

References

1. "Dakataua". Global Volcanism Program . Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved 2021-06-25.
2. "Holocene explosive eruptions of Witori and Dakataua caldera volcanoes in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea" . Retrieved August 19, 2020.
3. "Dakataua Volcano World" . Retrieved August 19, 2020.
4. E. BALL, J. GLUCKSMAN A limnological survey of Lake Dakataua, a large calderalake on West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, with comparisons to Lake Wisdom, a younger nearby caldera lake. Freshwater Biology (10)73, 1980
5. "Lake Dakataua" . Retrieved August 19, 2020.
6. "A liminological survey of Lake Dakataua" . doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.1980.tb01182.x . Retrieved August 19, 2020.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. "Filming Migo the Monster" . Retrieved August 19, 2020.