Ruapehu Volcano

Updated: Jul 23, 2025 17:42 GMT - refresh

Stratovolcano

North Island (New Zealand), -39.28°S / 175.57°E

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Summit height: 2797 m / 9,176 ft

Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)

Last update: 23 Jul 2025 (possible end to cooling phase at Crater Lake)

Ruhapehu volcano

Ruapehu is one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes and forms the highest peak of the North Island. The andesitic stratovolcano has an age of around 200,000 years and contains a large summit crater containing a lake. Eruptions from the vent inside the lake often cause the lake to drain and form dangerous lahars.

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Ruapehu webcams / live data | News/Updates | Earthquakes | Tours

Typical eruption style: Mildly explosive, formation of lahars
Ruapehu volcano eruptions:

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Jul 24, 01:46 am (GMT +12)	1.5 4.2 km	25 km (15 mi) to the N	15 km southwest of Turangi, Waikato, New Zealand	Info
Jul 23, 09:58 pm (GMT +12)	1.8 8.9 km	24 km (15 mi) to the SE	New Zealand	Info
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 GMT (4 quakes)
Jul 23, 09:45 am (GMT +12)	1.5 12 km	29 km (18 mi) to the SE	94 km north of Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand	Info
Jul 23, 05:22 am (GMT +12)	0.6 69 km	13 km (8 mi) to the S	New Zealand	Info
Jul 23, 02:49 am (GMT +12)	1.5 12 km	27 km (17 mi) to the S	New Zealand	Info
Jul 23, 01:19 am (GMT +12)	0.8 6.2 km	23 km (14 mi) to the NW	New Zealand	Info
Monday, July 21, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Jul 22, 08:34 am (GMT +12)	1.1 16 km	15 km (9.5 mi) to the SW	New Zealand	Info
Sunday, July 20, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Jul 21, 11:46 am (GMT +12)	2.6 81 km	21 km (13 mi) to the NW	New Zealand	Info
Thursday, July 17, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Jul 17, 06:08 pm (GMT +12)	2.6 125 km	28 km (17 mi) to the NW	New Zealand	Info

View recent quakes

Background

Ruapehu is a complex volcanic edifice constructed over several cycles and has a NNE-SSW elongated shape. The cone is surrounded by a large plain formed by debris from flank collapse and lahar deposits.
A series of very explosive (Plinian) eruptions occurred at Ruapehu between about 22,600 and 10,000 years ago. Since then, only one vent has probably been active, Crater Lake in the summit region. Activity in historic time consisted of mild explosive phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions often accompanied by lahars threatening the popular ski area on the volcano as well as structures in the surrounding valleys.
On 24th December 1953, a tephra dam holding in the crater lake failed passively, hence the lake drained to produce a catastrophic lahar that destroyed a rail bridge 42 km from the volcano, just as the Wellington-Auckland passenger train was crossing and fell into the valley, causing 151 fatalities.

Significant volcanic eruptions: Ruapehu volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Ruapehu has had at least 64 confirmed volcanic eruptions, out of which 58 are documented by historical records, while the others can be inferred from geological evidence.
Additionally, there are 2 uncertain or discredited eruptions from Ruapehu volcano.

The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Ruapehu volcano since around 1900. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Ruapehu can be found on the news page of Ruapehu volcano.

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths
2007 Sep 25	Historical obs./docs.	1
2006 Oct 4	Historical obs./docs.	1
1997 Oct 9 - Oct 18	Historical obs./docs.	1
1996 Jun 16 - Sep 1	Historical obs./docs.	3
?? 1996 Mar 21 or before	Uncertain Eruption	?
1995 Jan 11 ? - Nov 9	Historical obs./docs.	3
?? 1994 Feb 12 - Apr 1	Uncertain Eruption	1
1992 Feb 8 - Mar 6	Historical obs./docs.	1
1991 Jul 5 ? - Jul 14 ?	Historical obs./docs.	1
1990 Jun 17 - Sep 8 or before	Historical obs./docs.	0
1990 Jan 7 - Jan 26	Historical obs./docs.	1
1989 Jul 1 - Sep 20 ?	Historical obs./docs.	1
1988 Dec 8 - 1989 Mar 5 ?	Historical obs./docs.	1
1988 Mar 20 - May 25 ±3 d.	Historical obs./docs.	1
1987 Aug 24 - Aug 30	Historical obs./docs.	1
1986 Feb 8 - Feb 9 ?	Historical obs./docs.	1
1985 Nov 15	Historical obs./docs.	1
1985 May 21 or before - Jun 9 ?	Historical obs./docs.	1
1984 Oct 25 ? - Dec 16 ±15 d.	Historical obs./docs.	1
1984 Apr 2	Historical obs./docs.	1
1981 Oct 25 ? - 1982 Apr 12 ±3 d.	Historical obs./docs.	1
1980 Oct 18 - Nov 3	Historical obs./docs.	1
1980 Jan 15 ? - Mar 27 ?	Historical obs./docs.	1
1979 Jun 30 - Jul 15	Historical obs./docs.	1
1977 Jul 16 - 1979 Jan 17	Historical obs./docs.	2
1976 Sep 12 or before - Nov 22 ?	Historical obs./docs.	1
1976 Mar 6	Historical obs./docs.	1
1975 Oct 17 or before	Historical obs./docs.	1
1975 Apr 24 - Apr 27	Historical obs./docs.	2
1973 Oct 31 - 1974 Oct 25	Historical obs./docs.	1
1972 Oct 22 - 1973 Jan 10	Historical obs./docs.	1
1971 Apr 3 - Nov 1	Historical obs./docs.	2
1970 Sep 16 - Sep 17	Historical obs./docs.	1
1969 Jun 22 - Jun 23	Historical obs./docs.	2
1968 Apr 6 - Jun 10	Historical obs./docs.	2
1967 Jul 22 - Oct 4 ?	Historical obs./docs.	1
1966 Apr 4 - Sep 27	Historical obs./docs.	1
1959 May 21 - Aug 31	Historical obs./docs.	1
1956 Nov 18	Historical obs./docs.	1
1953 Dec 24 (eruptive episode 1953 Dec 24)	Historical obs./docs.	0	151	Info
1953 Dec 24: Summit crater lake drained when crevassing glacier caused ash barrier holding it in to collapse. The resulting mudflow swept away one of the piers of the Tangiwai bridge just before the arrival of the Wellington-Auckland express. Locomotive, tender and 5 carriages plunged into the river. No eruption. (reference #9675) Cited references #9675 Siebert, Lee, Tom Simkin, Paul Kimberly (2010): Fatalities & Evacuations, Volcanoes of the World, Third Edition, Geoscience Press, Inc., University of California Press, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., p. 329-347. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1952 Jul 16 ±15 d.	Historical obs./docs.	1
1951 Mar 19	Historical obs./docs.	1
1950 Jun 26	Historical obs./docs.	1
1948 May 1	Historical obs./docs.	1
1946 Nov 21 - 1947 May 31	Historical obs./docs.	1
1946 Apr - Jun	Historical obs./docs.	2
1945 Mar 8 - Dec	Historical obs./docs.	3
1944 Oct	Historical obs./docs.	2
1942 Aug 10	Historical obs./docs.	2
1940 Apr	Historical obs./docs.	2
1936 May 9 ? - May 13	Historical obs./docs.	2
1934 Dec - 1935 Feb	Historical obs./docs.	2
1934 Aug 11	Historical obs./docs.	2
1925 Jan 22	Historical obs./docs.	2
1921 Oct	Historical obs./docs.	2
1918 Jun 29	Historical obs./docs.	2
1906 Mar 15	Historical obs./docs.	2
1903	Historical obs./docs.	2

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Ruapehu Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Ruapehu volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Ruapehu occurred in 2007.

+How often does Ruapehu volcano erupt?

Since 1861, Ruapehu volcano has had at least 58 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 2.8 years.

+How active is Ruapehu volcano at present?

Ruapehu volcano is extremely active: Since 1900, it has had 51 eruptions, and been active during 51 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Ruapehu has been in eruption one in 2.5 years on average. The last eruption was in 2007 and ended 18 years ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Ruapehu volcano?

The largest eruption known from the younger geological history of Ruapehu volcano occurred in 7840 BC. It ranks as a "vulcanian" eruption with a magnitude 3 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

Latest satellite images

See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

Latest satellite images

Ruapehu Volcano Maps

Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).