The volcano released 100 cubic kilometers of material into the atmosphere when it last erupted, nearly 1,800 years ago: it was the largest eruption in the last 5,000 years. Specialists of the geological agency Geonet raised the level of preparedness for volcanic eruptions from zero to one.
They cautioned that there are a total of six levels of alert, but that a rush can occur in any of them. Volcanic activity can change very dynamically – Writes Sky News article.
According to Geonet, this is the first time the alert level has to be raised for Taupo, but volcanic activity has been detected before and
In general, the chance of a taupo outbreak remains low.
When this happened around 200 CE, volcanic ash and debris wreaked havoc on the northern part of the island before humans populated it.
According to experts, earthquakes can still occur in this region for several months: New Zealand is located on the border of the Pacific Ocean and the Australian tectonic plates, and therefore is prone to large volcanic events and earthquakes.
In 2019, the White Island volcano known as Whakaari unexpectedly erupted, releasing steam and ash. At that time, 22 people were killed and 25 were seriously injured, most of them tourists.
Editorial photo: MTI / EPA / Davide Caudullo – Our photo is an illustration
