Dakataua | |
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![]() 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″S 150°6′30″E / 5.05556°S 150.10833°E |
Geography | |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
Volcanic arc/ belt | 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]
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]
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]
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