Eruption Of Mount Tavurvur, Papua New Guinea

The Mount Tavurvur volcano in eastern Papua New Guinea jolted awake early Friday morning, belching rocks, ash, and steam (see above) nearly 60,000 feet (18,288 meters) into the air.

Local residents evacuated their homes on Friday, and Qantas Airways modified flight paths for planes heading to Tokyo and Shanghai from Sydney, Australia, according to news reports.

The last time Mount Tavurvur erupted, in 1994—at the same time as nearby Mount Vulcan—both volcanoes destroyed the town of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.