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New Zealand lies on the rim of the Pacific tectonic plate which is the same fracture in the earth's crust that passes through Japan and the west coast of the United States. This fracture passes through both the North and South Islands and causes high mountains in both islands, but the geological process are different. In the South Island, the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates are smashing in to each other. This collision has created the spectacular Southern Alps mountain range. In the North Island, one techtonic plate is sliding under the other, and the result of this geological process is volcanic activity. The vast majority of thermal activity in the North Island is centred in and around Rotorua and the Central Plateau area, which makes up the centre of the island.
Mt Tongariro, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu are the 3 main volcanoes in the central plateau. These volcanoes erupt regularly. Mt Ruapehu had some spectacular eruptions as recently as 1995 and 1996. Mt Ngauruhoe last erupted in 1972.
To the west of the Central Plataeu lies lonely Mt Taranaki, which is a spectacular almost conical shaped volcano near the coastline. This volcano's last eruption was the year 1755.
Further
to the north in the Rotorua area is Mt Tarawera. In 1886 this volcano blasted
2 cubic kilometers of lava and rock onto the surrounding countryside, killing
many people and in that process it destroyed New Zealand's most spectacular
natural feature, the world famous Pink
and White Terraces. North again and just off the Bay of Plenty coast,
is the island volcano called White Island. This volcano is continually releasing
pressure and has recently been close to a major eruption on a few occasions.
The biggest and most dangerous volcano in New Zealand and the world, is actually Lake Taupo which is New Zealand's largest lake, and is located in the centre of the North Island. This volcano last erupted in the year 186 AD, and erupts approximately once every 2000 years. This eruption was over 50 times the magnitude of the Mt St Helen's eruption. Mt St Helens moved 3 cubic kilometers of earth, and Krakatoa (the biggest in recent times) in Indonesia moved 8 cubic kilometers, compared to 110 cubic kilometers for Taupo. This eruption is regarded as the biggest in the last 5000 years. The event was recorded by the Chinese and the Romans. The Chinese actually heard the bang and made a record of the brilliant sunsets that lasted approximately 6 months. Previous to that and in ancient times, Lake Taupo had the worlds biggest and most destructive eruption ever. That event dwarfed the 186 AD eruption.
The Coromandel and Auckland regions including Auckland city are also made up of volcanoes, fortunately it has been 600 years since the last eruption.
The Rotorua area contains many thermal reserves that all contain good examples of boiling mud pools, hot springs, geysers, thermal rivers, boiling lakes, steam vents (fumeroles) and volcanic terraces.
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