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Mount Ruapehu

Ruapehu

Stratovolcano · New Zealand · 2797m

Ruapehu volcano, seen here from the south, forms a massif composed of at least four overlapping volcanic edifices. Located at the southern end of the Taupo volcanic zone, it contains an active crater lake near the summit. Phreatic explosions have produced mudflows that have affected ski areas on the upper flanks and river valleys below the volcano.
Ruapehu volcano, seen here from the south, forms a massif composed of at least four overlapping volcanic edifices. Located at the southern end of the Taupo volcanic zone, it contains an active crater lake near the summit. Phreatic explosions have produced mudflows that have affected ski areas on the upper flanks and river valleys below the volcano. · Photo: Photo by Bruce Houghton, 1980 (Wairakei Research Center). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
New Zealand
Region
Tonga-Kermadec Volcanic Regions / Taupo Volcanic Arc
Elevation
2797m
Coordinates
-39.280, 175.570
Last eruption
2007
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

Ruapehu, one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes, is a complex stratovolcano constructed during at least four cone-building episodes dating back to about 200,000 years ago. The dominantly andesitic 110 km3 volcanic massif is elongated in a NNE-SSW direction and surrounded by another 100 km3 ring plain of volcaniclastic debris, including the NW-flank Murimoto debris-avalanche deposit. A series of subplinian eruptions took place between about 22,600 and 10,000 years ago, but pyroclastic flows have been infrequent. The broad summait area and flank contain at least six vents active during the Holocene. Frequent mild-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded from the Te Wai a-Moe (Crater Lake) vent, and tephra characteristics suggest that the crater lake may have formed as recently as 3,000 years ago. Lahars resulting from phreatic eruptions at the summit crater lake are a hazard to a ski area on the upper flanks and lower river valleys.

From Wikipedia

Mount Ruapehu is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupō Volcanic Zone and North Island volcanic plateau in New Zealand. It is 23 km (14 mi) northeast of Ohakune and 23 km (14 mi) southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupō, within Tongariro National Park. The North Island's major ski resorts and only glaciers are on its slopes.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
9850 BCE~9455 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI ?7874 BCE~7479 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 45898 BCE~5502 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?821~1217 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31612~2007 · 60 eruptions · max VEI 39850 BCE7083 BCE3921 BCE1155 BCE1612

Detailed timeline

  1. 2007VEI 1Observed
    2007-09-25 – 2007-09-25
  2. 2006VEI 1Observed
    2006-10-04 – 2006-10-04
  3. 1997VEI 1Observed
    1997-10-09 – 1997-10-18
  4. 1996VEI 0Geological estimate
    1996-03-21 – Ongoing
  5. 1996VEI 3Observed
    1996-06-16 – 1996-09-01
  6. 1995VEI 3Observed
    1995-01-11 – 1995-11-09
  7. 1994VEI 1Geological estimate
    1994-02-12 – 1994-04-01
  8. 1992VEI 1Observed
    1992-02-08 – 1992-03-06
  9. 1991VEI 1Observed
    1991-07-05 – 1991-07-14
  10. 1990VEI 1Observed
    1990-01-07 – 1990-01-26
  11. 1990VEI 0Observed
    1990-06-17 – 1990-09-08
  12. 1989VEI 1Observed
    1989-07-01 – 1989-09-20
  13. 1988VEI 1Observed
    1988-03-20 – 1988-05-25
  14. 1988VEI 1Observed
    1988-12-08 – 1989-03-05
  15. 1987VEI 1Observed
    1987-08-24 – 1987-08-30
  16. 1986VEI 1Observed
    1986-02-08 – 1986-02-09
  17. 1985VEI 1Observed
    1985-05-21 – 1985-06-09
  18. 1985VEI 1Observed
    1985-11-15 – 1985-11-15
  19. 1984VEI 1Observed
    1984-04-02 – Ongoing
  20. 1984VEI 1Observed
    1984-10-25 – 1984-12-16
  21. 1981VEI 1Observed
    1981-10-25 – 1982-04-12
  22. 1980VEI 1Observed
    1980-01-15 – 1980-03-27
  23. 1980VEI 1Observed
    1980-10-18 – 1980-11-03
  24. 1979VEI 1Observed
    1979-06-30 – 1979-07-15
  25. 1977VEI 2Observed
    1977-07-16 – 1979-01-17
  26. 1976VEI 1Observed
    1976-03-06 – 1976-03-06
  27. 1976VEI 1Observed
    1976-09-12 – 1976-11-22
  28. 1975VEI 2Observed
    1975-04-24 – 1975-04-27
  29. 1975VEI 1Observed
    1975-10-17 – 1975-10-17
  30. 1973VEI 1Observed
    1973-10-31 – 1974-10-25
  31. 1972VEI 1Observed
    1972-10-22 – 1973-01-10
  32. 1971VEI 2Observed
    1971-04-03 – 1971-11-01
  33. 1970VEI 1Observed
    1970-09-16 – 1970-09-17
  34. 1969VEI 2Observed
    1969-06-22 – 1969-06-23
  35. 1968VEI 2Observed
    1968-04-06 – 1968-06-10
  36. 1967VEI 1Observed
    1967-07-22 – 1967-10-04
  37. 1966VEI 1Observed
    1966-04-04 – 1966-09-27
  38. 1959VEI 1Observed
    1959-05-21 – 1959-08-31
  39. 1956VEI 1Observed
    1956-11-18 – 1956-11-18
  40. 1952VEI 1Observed
    1952-07-16 – Ongoing
  41. 1951VEI 1Observed
    1951-03-19 – Ongoing
  42. 1950VEI 1Observed
    1950-06-26 – 1950-06-26
  43. 1948VEI 1Observed
    1948-05-01 – Ongoing
  44. 1946VEI 2Observed
    1946-04 – 1946-06
  45. 1946VEI 1Observed
    1946-11-21 – 1947-05-31
  46. 1945VEI 3Observed
    1945-03-08 – 1945-12
  47. 1944VEI 2Observed
    1944-10 – Ongoing
  48. 1942VEI 2Observed
    1942-08-10 – Ongoing
  49. 1940VEI 2Observed
    1940-04 – Ongoing
  50. 1936VEI 2Observed
    1936-05-09 – 1936-05-13
  51. 1934VEI 2Observed
    1934-08-11 – Ongoing
  52. 1934VEI 2Observed
    1934-12 – 1935-02
  53. 1925VEI 2Observed
    1925-01-22 – Ongoing
  54. 1921VEI 2Observed
    1921-10 – Ongoing
  55. 1918VEI 2Observed
    1918-06-29 – Ongoing
  56. 1906VEI 2Observed
    1906-03-15 – Ongoing
  57. 1903VEI 2Observed
    1903 – Ongoing
  58. 1895VEI 2Observed
    1895-03-10 – 1895-03-14
  59. 1889VEI 2Observed
    1889-05-01 – Ongoing
  60. 1861VEI 2Observed
    1861-05-16 – Ongoing
  61. 1210 (±150 yrs)VEI 3Geological estimate
    1210 – Ongoing
  62. 5550 BCE (±2500 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 5550 – Ongoing
    NE flank (Whakapapa)
  63. 7590 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 7590 – Ongoing
    North flank (Whakapapanui Gorge area)
  64. 7840 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate
    BCE 7840 – Ongoing
    Upper north flank (Pinnacle Ridge)
  65. 9650 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 9650 – Ongoing
  66. 9850 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 9850 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.