Volcano hazards
New Zealand volcanoes and the Taupō Volcanic Zone
New Zealand lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of increased geological activity that circles the Pacific Ocean and contains about 90 per cent of the world’s volcanoes. There are three types of volcanoes found in New Zealand, cone volcanoes (such as Mount Ruapehu), caldera volcanoes (such as Lake Taupō), and volcanic fields.
Most New Zealand volcano activity in the last 1.6 million years has occurred in the Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ). The zone extends from Whakaari/White Island to Ruapehu. The Taupō Volcanic Zone is extremely active on a world scale: it includes three frequently active cone volcanoes (Ruapehu, Tongariro/Ngauruhoe, Whakaari/White Island), and two of the most productive calderas in the world (Okataina and Taupō).
While the South Waikato does not have any active volcanoes, we are close to several. It is a good idea to know what to do during and after a volcanic eruption.
Volcano hazards
Volcanoes can produce a wide variety of hazards including:
- Ash and falling rock debris
- Very fast-moving mixtures of hot gases and volcanic rock (base surges)
- Lava flows (fire fountaining)
- Lahars (volcanic mudflows)
- Gas
- Shockwaves
- Earthquakes
- Tsunami.
Volcanic Activity Bulletins
Volcano Activity Bulletins (VABs) issued by GeoNet are New Zealand's official source of volcano status information including the current Volcanic Alert Level (VAL). The bulletins are issued on an as-needed basis summarising the volcano status and recent events.
