| Billy Mitchell volcano | |
| Elevation M: | 1,544 |
| Map: | Papua New Guinea |
| Location: | Bougainville, Papua New Guinea |
| Range: | Emperor Range |
| Coordinates: | -6.1°N 168°W |
| Type: | Pyroclastic shield |
| Volcanic Arc/Belt: | Bougainville & Solomon Is. |
| Last Eruption: | 1580 ± 20 years |
| Billy Mitchell | |
| Coords: | -6.1°N 155.2167°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Papua New Guinea Bougainville Island |
| Basin Countries: | Papua New Guinea |
| Area: | ~3sqkm[1] |
| Max-Depth: | ~90m (300feet) |
Billy Mitchell is a pyroclastic shield in the central part of the island of Bougainville, just north-east of the Bagana Volcano in Papua New Guinea. It is a small pyroclastic shield truncated by a 2 km wide caldera filled by a crater lake.[2] It is named after Billy Mitchell, a 20th-century United States Army general who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force.
The last two major eruptions were in 1580 AD ± 20 years and about 1030 AD. They were among the largest Holocene eruptions in Papua New Guinea. Both were explosive eruptions with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of at least 5. The 1580 AD ± 20 years eruption produced pyroclastic flows and probably formed its caldera.[3] The ignimbrite deposit from that eruption, which had a VEI of 6, extends 22km (14miles) from the caldera to the coast, and its volume is around 10km3.[1]
Billy Mitchell caldera lake is about 1,013 m above sea level, has total surface area 3km2, and the maximum depth approximately 88.3 m. The only fish species in the lake is the eel Anguilla megastoma. [4] Billy Mitchell lake drains into the Tekan River.[5]