A close-up photo of Pago's ravaged summit crater taken from the N on 16 September 2002. (Photo: USGS)
Pago volcano is located in the Cape Hoskins area of New Britain, Papua New Guinea. It belongs to the larger complex of Witori volcano and represents the post-caldera cone of the latter.
Pago is probably only 350 years old.
The typical historical activity at Pago volcano were strombolian to vulcanian explosions, sometimes accompanied by slow lava flows. A series of 10 dacitic lava flows from Pago cover much of the caldera floor.
The 250 m high and 300 m wide cone of Pago volcano reaches about the same height as the caldera rim. Pago and the 5.5 x 7.5 km caldera form a large volcanic complex, called the Witori volcano. The caldera formed probably around 3300 years ago. Witori volcano has long been recognized as active and is considered as a potential volcanic hazard.
The Buru caldera cuts the SW flank of Witori volcano. The gently sloping outer flanks of Witori volcano consist primarily of dacitic pyroclastic-flow and airfall deposits produced during a series of five major explosive eruptions from about 5600 to 1200 years ago, many of which may have been associated with caldera formation.