Taupo Volcanic Zone

The Taupo Volcanic Zone is a highly active volcanic area in the North Island. It is named after Lake Taupo, the flooded caldera of the largest volcano in the zone.

There are numerous volcanic vents and geothermal fields in the zone, with Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruhoe and White Island erupting most frequently. The zone’s largest eruption since the arrival of Europeans was that of Mount Tarawera in 1886, which killed over 100 people. Early Māori would also have been affected by the much larger Kaharoa eruption from Tarawera around 1300 CE.

The last major eruption from Lake Taupo, the Hatepe eruption, occurred in 181 CE. It is believed to have first emptied the lake then followed that feat with a pyroclastic flow that covered about 20,000 square kilometres of land with volcanic ash. A total of 120 km³ of material is believed to have been ejected, and over 30 km³ of material is estimated to have been ejected in just a few minutes. The date of this activity is known since the ash expulsion was sufficiently large to turn the sky red over Rome and China (as documented in Hou Han Shu).

Taupo erupted an estimated 1,170 km³ of material in its Oruanui eruption 26,500 years ago. This was Earth’s most recent eruption reaching VEI-8, the highest level on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.

The Rotorua caldera has been dormant longer, producing its most recent giant eruption about 240,000 years ago, although lava dome extrusion has occurred as recently as <25 kyr.

The Taupo Volcanic Zone is approximately 350 kilometres long by 50 kilometres wide. Mount Ruapehu marks its southwestern end, while the submarine Whakatane volcano (85 kilometres beyond White Island) is co  nsidered its northeastern limit.

List of Volcanos in New Zealand