[2] Lava flows from the eruption covered a large area of land in the Gagaʻemauga district, leading to the relocation of several villages.

[5] An expedition led by governor Wilhelm Solf observed flames shooting 400 feet into the sky at intervals of ten seconds along with lava flowing through the bush.

[5] The early phase of the eruption was mostly explosive,[2] but in September large amounts of lava had begun to flow from the crater.

[9] The villages of Salago and Sale'aula were destroyed, and the destruction of crops from volcanic fumes was causing famine.

[10][3] In respect of it being 'one of the best examples in the SW Pacific of an oceanic hot spot and its early 20th century eruption', the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) included 'The 1905-1911 Matavanu volcanic eruption' in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022.