sleeping giant in the lake taupo caldera volcano

new zealand’s hidden supervolcano

wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tauporama1.jpg

While the Taupo Volcano is just one of New Zealand’s many volcanoes, it is only one of a handful of the world’s supervolanoes. In
fact, it is the most active and productive rhyolitic volcano on earth. However, because it is today covered by New Zealand’s largest
lake, most are unaware of its presence. Situated in the center of the North Island, the Taupo volcano is located in the heart of the
Taupo Volcanic Zone – TVZ. This is a highly active area of geothermal and volcanic activity, encompassing over 17,000km2.

Composition and behavior Forming a caldera

100
km

TVZ As a caldera volcano, the product of a

The Oranui eruption erupted
collapsed crater from an explosive 1
800km3 of tephra from the massive
N history, Taupo does not take on the
magma chamber beneath
traditional shape of a volcano. Instead
Lake Taupo Taupo. This resulted in pyro-
of one vent, it has many, and is
clastic flows and ashfalls that
located below over 100 meters of
accumulated over 1000km away.
water on the northern end of Lake
acaciabaycharters.co.nz

Taupo. Calderas are known for their

explosive, but infrequent eruptions.
Like other volcanoes in the TVZ, it
Location of erupts a viscous 700-800°C rhyolitic
caldera
magma which is >69% silica (SiO2).
Rhyolitic magma has a higher gas
content along with its high viscosity.
Taupo Facts This type of volcano is prone to
• Location: Lake Taupo, Central TVZ explosive eruptions and pyroclastic
• Size: 35 km diameter flows. At Taupo, magma can interact
• Type: Rhyolitic caldera supervolcano with the ground and lake water
• Age: >65ka (volcano); 26.5ka (caldera) resulting in explosive steam-driven
• Major eruptions: 26,500 and 1,800 years ago phreatic eruptions. Taupo is
• Hazards: Pyroclastic flows, lahars, ash fall classified as a “re-awakening”
• Status: No signs of unrest; hydrothermal volcano as it has had numerous
activity and some tectonic activity eruptions in the last 15,000 years, but
is less active in historical times.
With most of the magma
chamber empty, the
volcanic edifice above the
chamber collapsed.
2 Fractures around the fault
allow for feeder tubes to
form smaller vents on the
surface.
Weathering processes
have filled in the basin with
the lake as we see it today.
Magma present below the
surface has also fueled
geothermal activity near
Taupo. 3
 taupo’s volcanic history and hazards
300 ka 1 65 ka 26.5 ka ~181 A.D.
2 3 Today

300,000 – 65,000 years ago: First signs of activity at Taupo traced to
1 300ka. Starting 65ka, a series of five eruptions occurred expelling
coarse pumice and fine ash from the volcano.
Oruanui eruption – 26,500 years ago: Taupo’s caldera-forming and
2 largest eruption which ejected 1170km3 of ash/pyroclastics (tephras).
This “mega-colossal” eruption was the most powerful volcanic event in
the past 70,000 years. Ash fell in depths of 100m around the vent. 27
further smaller eruptions occurred around the margins of the caldera in
various vents as hotter magma has moved closer to the surface.
Common in the TVZ, deposits from
pyroclastic flows (Taupo ignimbrites)
contain white-gray pumice (1) from
the Taupo eruption. Soil layers (2),
like the brown band seen here,
indicate a period of volcanic
quiescence between eruptions.
Hazards
The greatest hazard associated with an eruption at Taupo would be a super-
eruption, which could reach the highest level, 8, on the Volcanic Eruption
Index. GNS currently monitors Taupo with seven seismographs to detect
earthquakes and ground deformation monitors that could signal unrest.
Even with such monitors, volcanoes are almost impossible to predict.
• Ash fall from a volcanic event has the ability to destroy power lines,
vegetation, livestock and homes. Although not toxic, it asphyxiate
humans and animals. Falls from Taupo events have 10cm falls up to
1,000km away.
• Pyroclastic flows are fast moving clouds containing heated volcanic
ash, cinders and molten lava bombs. These flows from gaseous
eruptions and can travel over 300km/h and leave plumes kilometers into
the stratosphere.
• Lahars are a major threat from an ash fall event. If rains follow an ash
fall, they could wipe out communities in a debris flow of mud and ash.

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Geothermal benefits
Because of the caldera’s shallow magma chamber, groundwater circulating
Taupo eruption ~181A.D.: Series of complex phreatic eruptions
3 is heated in rock fractures 1 – 3 km below ground and transferring heat to
(mixed with lake water) which erupted 100 cu km of ash and
the surface. It has been utilized in several power stations around Taupo that
pyroclastics, blanketing 20,000km2 of the North Island with a thin layer
use the steam to create clean power.
of ignimbrite which is readily visible in river valleys and roadcuts
around the North Island. It is believed to be the world’s most violent MZ 200-300°C water pumped
eruption in the past 5,000 years. Its affects were seen worldwide in the to surface through wells
form of red sunsets and noted in Greek and Chinese histories. MZ
References

•Froggatt, P. “New Zealands volcanoes: The Taupo volcanic centre,” GNS, 1997.
•Gravley, D, et al. “Field Module 3: Volcanoes: eruption styles, volcano monitoring and hazards,” Earth
Systems Study of Science Course Curriculum. Frontiers Abroad, 2010. Natural geothermal activity
•Manville, V., Wilson, C.J.N. “The 26.5 ka Oruanui eruption, New Zealand,” New Zealand Journal of Geology evidence of possible MZ
& Geophysics, 2004, Vol. 47: 525–547. commercial power production
Steam separated from
•Smith, R., Lowe, D.J., and I. Wright. “Volcanoes - The Taupō volcano”, Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New
water to power turbines
Zealand, 2 Mar 09. www.TeAra.govt.nz/ en/volcanoes/5
•“Taupo’s Volcanic History,” Essence of New Zealand, 2006. www.essencenz.com/index.php/pi_pageid/112 GeoFlyer by Matt Zwingraf (zwingram@lafayette.edu)