Le Luyer
Jean
1. Introduction
New Zealand is special for its high density of active volcanoes and a high number of eruptions. Volcanoes in New Zealand are in six areas (see figure below), five in the North Island and one in the Kermadec Islands.
2. How come there are volcanoes in New Zealand?
Volcanoes in New Zealand are grouped into areas of more intensive and long-lived activity, whose position can be related to the movement of the tectonic plates in the New Zealand region. Most New Zealand volcanism in the last 1.6 million years has occupied in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ). The Taupo Volcanic Zone is extremely active on a world scale: there are three frequently active cone volcanoes (Ruapehu, Tongariro/Ngauruhoe, White Island), and two of the most productive caldera in the world (Okataina and Taupo).
There are three types of volcano in New Zealand:
3. Some volcanoes in New Zealand
Location: 37.52 S, 177.18 E
Elevation: 321 m
White Island is one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes, he erupted since 1826. In 1914, a landslide killed eleven men at a sulfur works. Luke (1959) describes Maori legends about White Island.
Location: 39.15 S, 175.63 E
Elevation: 2,291 m
Ngauruhoe is a beautifully cone volcano on the top of the Tongariro massif. Ngauruhoe is New Zealand's most active volcano with 61 eruptions since 1839.
Fire fountaining eruptions from the summit crater have produced lava flows in 1870, February 1949, and May-September 1954.
The most recent eruption at Ngauruhoe was in February of 1977.
Location: 39.15 S, 175.6 E
Elevation: 2,291 m
Pukekaikoire cone is part of the Tongariro massif. Pukekaikoire is about 14,700 years old, making it the oldest volcano of the younger group of volcanic at Tongariro. Ngauruhoe is on the left.
Ngauruhoe and Pukekaikoir are located in the Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand. In 1949 and 1954 Ngauruhoe erupted lava and hot avalanches.
Sources of Information:
Volcanoes in New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited.htm
http://www.gns.cri.nz/what/earthact/volcanoes
http://volcanoes.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images
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