Eruption of Papua New Guinea volcano subsides

The eruption of Papua New Guinea’s tallest volcano subsided Tuesday, but thick ash still billowed into the sky and coated roofs and palm trees nearby.
One of the South Pacific nation’s most active volcanoes, Mount Ulawun erupted on Monday afternoon, spewing ash as high as 15 kilometers.
The alert level for the volcano on the northeastern island of New Britain was downgraded by Papua New Guinea’s Geohazards Management Division to Stage 3, which means a moderate-to-strong eruption. It had been at Stage 4 on Monday, indicating a very strong eruption.
But the volcano, which stands 2,334 meters above sea level, remained active and the eruption could continue indefinitely, the division said.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia, reported volcanic smoke rising as high as 15,000 meters on Monday.