When was Taupo last eruption?
Earth’s last supereruption was Taupo, approximately 25,000 years ago. Taupo has erupted less violently at least 28 times since then, with the largest and most recent of these events occurring in 232 CE.
What eruption caused Lake Taupo?
Oruanui eruption
The Oruanui eruption at Taupo occurred 27,000 years ago and was the largest eruption worldwide since Toba in Indonesia, around 74,000 years ago. Oruanui was so explosive that its ejecta was deposited away from the vent, collapsing the ground over its emptied magma chamber to form a caldera.
Is Taupo a supervolcano?
Taupo is a ‘supervolcano’ and one of the most frequently active and productive rhyolite caldera in the world. The huge caldera (collapse crater) has been partly filled by New Zealand’s largest lake, Lake Taupo.
What is under Lake Taupo?
Taupo is a ‘supervolcano’ and one of the most frequently active and productive rhyolite caldera in the world. The caldera is created by subsidence of the ground surface due to emptying of the magma chamber in huge eruptions. The present magma chamber is between 6 and 8 km below the lake.
Is Long Valley volcano active?
Long Valley Caldera and the Mono-Inyo Craters chain form a large volcanic complex in eastern California that has had persistent earthquake activity and ground uplift in recent decades. Volcanoes have been active in the area for millions of years, and future eruptions are certain to occur.
What happened to the Aratiatia Rapids?
Before the water was diverted to the power station in 1964, the Aratiatia Rapids were the largest in Australasia – the Waikato River dropping 28 metres in just one kilometre. Today their full potential can still be seen during the scheduled daily releases.
When was the last time Taupo erupted?
The most recent eruption in Taupo’s explosive history, around 1800 years ago, unleashed a pyroclastic flow of ash and lava that swept through 20,000 sq km of land around Taupo at speeds of 600–900 km/h.
What happens at the Aratiatia dam?
Several times a day the gates at the Aratiatia dam are opened to release the full flow of the river, a spectacular sight from the lookout points – kids will love it! The track leading to the two lookout points begins 50 metres from the bridge on the true right of the river.
What does Aratiatia mean in Maori?
The name Aratiatia means ‘stairway of Tia’. It refers to a zig-zag pattern of stakes that allow travellers to ascend a steep climb and the early Maori explorer Tia, a high priest of the Arawa tribe, who passed through the gorge on his way to discover Lake Taupō.