Ruapehu Volcano
Updated: 19 apr. 2024 21:40 GMT -
Stratovolcano 2797 m / 9,176 ft
Isola del nord (New Zealand), -39.28°S / 175.57°E
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Isola del nord (New Zealand), -39.28°S / 175.57°E
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 26 mar 2024 (series of small earthquakes)
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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Eruzioni del vulcano Ruapehu:
Latest nearby earthquakes
Data / ora | Mag. / Prof. | Distanza / Ubicazione | |||
14 apr 21:52 (Auckland) | 1.9 66 km | 17 km a sud | New Zealand | Info | |
venerdì, 12 aprile 2024 GMT (2 sismi) | |||||
13 apr 03:13 (Auckland) | 1.9 14 km | 27 km a sud | New Zealand | Info | |
12 apr 14:50 (Auckland) | 2.0 9.6 km | 29 km a sud-est | New Zealand | Info | |
giovedì, 11 aprile 2024 GMT (1 sismo) | |||||
11 apr 14:26 (Auckland) | 2.3 8.2 km | 8.2 km a nord ovest | New Zealand | Info | |
giovedì, 18 aprile 2024 GMT (1 sismo) | |||||
19 apr 08:43 (Auckland) | 1.8 81 km | 22 km a sud ovest | New Zealand | Info | |
domenica, 14 aprile 2024 GMT (1 sismo) | |||||
14 apr 18:12 (Auckland) | 1.8 46 km | 30 km a sud | New Zealand | Info |
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.