Lombenben, Active volcano in Ambae Island, Vanuatu.

Lombenben is an active volcano on Ambae Island that rises 1,496 meters above sea level. The summit holds three crater lakes fed by warm freshwater springs with different chemical and thermal characteristics.

Manaro Voui erupted in March 1995 after a long dormancy, sending a steam plume 2 to 3 km high and forcing evacuation of people near the crater. A phreatic eruption in late 2005 built a scoria cone about 500 m wide in Lake Voui, turning the water red with iron oxide for months. Activity resumed in 2017-2018, when ash and lahars destroyed homes and the whole population of Ambae was evacuated to Maewo, Pentecost and Espiritu Santo; most had returned by February 2020.

Local people view the summit valley and lakes as sacred places where spirits rest after death according to traditional beliefs. This spiritual connection continues to shape how the community relates to the landscape.

The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department keeps a live webcam and seismological chart of the volcano, useful for checking conditions before any approach. The 2 km wide rift zone runs the length of Ambae and holds the summit, so activity can open away from the lakes. Ashfall has closed all schools on the island and forced evacuations to Maewo, Pentecost and Espiritu Santo.

The central crater lake stores millions of cubic meters of water and serves as a natural indicator of volcanic activity changes. Its temperature and chemical properties shift measurably when subsurface processes intensify.