Volcano eruption in NZ erupts after 100 years dormant

August 2012 Last updated at 04:55 Share this pageEmail Print Share this page


A New Zealand volcano dormant for more than a century has erupted, sending up ash clouds, disrupting flights and closing roads.

Mount Tongariro, one of three volcanoes in the centre of the North Island, became active just before midnight local time, with reports of loud explosions, spewing rocks and steam.

The 1,978m (6,490 ft) peak is in a national park popular with hikers.

No casualties or damage have been reported after the eruption.

Witnesses described a dramatic scene as the volcano erupted.

''I saw this beautiful, big cloud and I thought: 'Gee that looks like a volcanic plume'. Just as I thought that there was a great big orange flash," truck driver Bryn Rodda told New Zealand National Radio.

"It was quite impressive."

Mount Tongariro last erupted 115 years ago, and scientists said they did not yet know if this eruption was a single event or if it signalled the start of more activity.


Experts said they were caught by surprise - they had recorded some seismic activity in recent weeks but were not expecting an eruption.

"This might just be a quiet period and we should expect it to start again at any time. So we are watching things very closely," volcanologist Michael Rosenberg told TVNZ.

Eruption activity has currently subsided, New Zealand media said. Meteorologists said the ash was blowing east towards the Pacific Ocean.

A number of domestic flights on the North Island had been affected by the volcanic activity, Air New Zealand said.

Police said highways that had been closed because visibility was affected after the eruption are now open.

Some residents in the vicinity had temporarily left their homes. Officials have not ordered an evacuation, but advised those affected by the ash cloud to stay indoors and close their doors and windows

What with this and the news of floods in the Phillipines , the World is certainly experiencing climate change now.

I think that climate changes over and over with little help,its natural,i am not saying the use of some stuff we have used hant helped ,but its over thousand of years also with little help from humans.joyce1938

joyce1938 wrote:I think that climate changes over and over with little help,its natural,i am not saying the use of some stuff we have used hant helped ,but its over thousand of years also with little help from humans.joyce1938

Yes Joyce , Man has ruined the Planet and Seasons have merged so there is no defining Spring, Summer Autumn and

Winter. when I was growing up there was always deep snow , we used to pick icicles off the pipes and suck them like

Lollipops , spend Summers playing in the Woods and swimming in the river when it was too hot.......just look at the

weather this year.!!!