The Little Sign New Zealand’s supervolcano is active – and what that could mean for the island nation
- Several small earthquakes were recorded in New Zealand’s Lake Taupō
- Geonet has reported a total of 84 tremors in the region over the past three weeks
- The earthquakes in the area prove that the Taupō volcano is still active
A series of minor earthquakes have been reported on New Zealand’s Lake Taupō, raising concerns about signs of volcanic unrest in the area.
Geonet, an agency that operates a geological hazard monitoring system for New Zealand, recorded 84 small tremors in the past two to three weeks.
The tremors were all minor, with only two exceeding a magnitude 3, consistent with the feeling of slight vibrations and the appearance of objects that may be shaking indoors.
It is evidence that the Taupō volcano is active, as small earthquakes, up and down movements of the ground, and changes in the geothermal fields are indicators of volcanic unrest.
A series of minor earthquakes have been reported on New Zealand’s Lake Taupō, raising concerns about signs of volcanic unrest in the area. (Pictured: map of the region with dots representing tremors)
Geonet, a geological hazard monitoring agency in New Zealand, recorded 84 earthquakes in Lake Taupō in the past two to three weeks (pictured).
The latest earthquake swarm in the Lake Taupō region began on April 28.
Geonet measured the tremors at depths between 7 and 16 kilometers and less than 15 kilometers.
Quakes in the region are common and several are recorded each year.
“Larger ones have lasted weeks to months and can include many hundreds of earthquakes,” Geonet said.
The recent series of earthquakes are divided into two clusters, one in the middle of the lake and the other on the eastern shore.
According to Geonet, the tremors “could be related to active faulting in the TVZ and volcanic processes at caldera volcanoes such as Taupō and Okataina.”
The tremors are similar to a swarm from 2019, which the agency conducted a study on.
They noted in the study that the tremors are “related to the edges of the hot mush zone beneath the volcano and are indicative of Taupō Volcano being active.”
“Variations in the level of background turmoil are common in caldera volcanoes such as Taupō.”
Over the past 10 years, the region has experienced more than 4,200 tremors and 17 episodes of volcanic unrest over the past 140 years.
Earthquakes have also been recorded in the north, where there are several active volcanoes.
Taupō is a “supervolcano” that has experienced some of the most violent volcanic eruptions on the planet, with the last eruption occurring 1,800 years ago. (Pictured: Artist’s rendering of a new erupting column during the Oruanui eruption of Taupō Volcano in 26,500 BC)
One of the volcanoes in the Taupō Volcanic Zone is Mount Whakaari (pictured), which erupted in December 2019, killing 22 people and injuring 25
Taupō is a “supervolcano” that has experienced some of the most violent volcanic eruptions on the planet, with the last eruption occurring 1,800 years ago.
There have been 29 eruptions in Taupō in the last 30,000 years.
Of those 29 eruptions, three were very large and the rest much smaller, according to Geonet.
Taupō is located in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, which includes several volcanic centers on New Zealand’s North Island.
White Island is one of the volcanoes in the Taupō Volcanic Zone and the last volcano in the zone, erupting in 2019.
Also known as Whakaari, the volcano explosively erupted on December 9, 2019, killing 22 people – including 14 Australians – and injuring 25.
Dozens more suffered serious injuries. The dead and injured were tourists and their guides visiting the volcano.