Mt Ruapehu

It comes after a steam plume rose around 1.5 kilometres above the lake on Tuesday morning.

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A steam plume was visible over Mount Ruapehu this morning, GNS Science says. Duty volcanologist Geoff Kilgour said the first sign of the plume above the ...

• The Volcanic Alert Level reflects the current level of elevated volcanic unrest. The Volcanic Alert Level should not be used to forecast future activity. While Volcano Alert Level 2 is mostly associated with volcanic unrest hazards, eruptions can still occur with little or no warning. This represents a change in character in the tremor, and the driving processes remain unclear." Kilgour said images of the plume indicate that atmospheric conditions favoured cloud formation, as cloud was also forming elsewhere around the volcano. We may expect more plumes to be seen over the coming weeks/months under suitable weather conditions."

Exclusion zones around the mountain could be extended, and experts are looking at being better prepared for ashfall.

The impacts of such an eruption could be severe. A map provided by the department shows three and four kilometre exclusion zones that can be introduced as needed. Such an eruption would most likely only follow a sequence of smaller eruptions. In a sign of the seriousness of the risks, Tom Wilson, a professor of disaster risk and resilience at University of Canterbury, is helping lead a group of experts looking at volcanic ashfall impact scenarios. And, while a big eruption such as the mid-1990s with wider ashfall impacts is considered unlikely at the moment, planning is ongoing for managing the very serious impacts this could have on infrastructure, people’s health and animal welfare as volcanic unrest continues. The exclusion zone around Ruapehu will be extended if needed, as the Department of Conservation keeps a close eye on safety in the Tongariro National Park.

Geoff Kilgour, a volcanologist with GNS Science, says this is down to ongoing volcanic unrest which started around six weeks ago.

He said higher alert levels are reserved for an eruption. Due to this, he said Ruapehu won't be moving out of Volcanic Alert Level 2 for some time. Mount Ruapehu won't be moving out of Volcanic Alert Level 2 for some time, a volcanologist says.

The volcano is continuing to show signs of unrest as Crater Lake temperatures rise to 38C.

Increasing Crater Lake temperature is reflecting the increasing upwelling of hot fluids and gases through Central Vent as well as the Northern vents. Such an eruption would most likely only follow a sequence of smaller eruptions,” Kilgour said. Small eruptions are still able to generate lahars, especially in the Whangaehu River. The Volcanic Alert Level should not be used to forecast future activity.” “A gas measurement flight on 28 April recorded the sixth-highest sulphur dioxide (SO2) flux of 390 tonnes per day since 2003. “The Volcanic Alert Level reflects the current level of elevated volcanic unrest.

Volcanic unrest continues at Mt Ruapehu, marked by increased volcanic gas output and strong volcanic tremor. Airborne gas measurements confirm continued high ...

The Volcanic Alert Level reflects the current level of elevated volcanic unrest. The Volcanic Alert Level should not be used to forecast future activity. Within the next four weeks, the most likely outcome of this unrest episode is no eruption, or a minor eruption that is confined to the lake basin. Increasing Crater Lake temperature is reflecting the increasing upwelling of hot fluids and gases through Central Vent as well as the Northern vents. We are still awaiting laboratory analysis of the latest Crater Lake fluid and gas samples. Over the last week, the level of volcanic tremor has varied, with bursts of strong tremor interspersed by short, periods of weaker tremor.

A period of heightened unrest continues for Mt Ruapehu, with continued high levels of volcanic gas emissions and strong tremor, GNS Science says.

Such an eruption would most likely only follow a sequence of smaller eruptions." This represents a change in character in the tremor, and the driving processes remain unclear." We had surmised previously that Central Vent was sealed, blocking the main flow of fluids and gases into Crater Lake, however this vent now appears to be at least partially open."

The temperature at New Zealand's crater lake Te Wai a-moe has risen about 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the past three days, highlighting unrest on Mount Ruapehu ...

"Mount Ruapehu is an active volcano and has the potential to erupt with little or no warning when in a state of elevated volcanic unrest," Kilgour said. Volcano eruptions are much more likely at Level 2 in than Level 1. Geoff Kilgour said Mount Ruapehu has shown its strongest volcanic activity "in two decades" with volcanic alert levels remaining at 2.

Volcanologists say a steam plume rose from Mt Ruapehu this morning, up to 1.5 kilometres in the air.

The crater lake temperature has risen to 39C this week, and currently nobody is allowed within a 2 kilometre radius of the summit. "It will be open if it's safe to do so, with hopefully good snow, good skiing. The situation is reasonably fluid." Its online bulletin said a large eruption, as seen in the mid-1990s, was "very unlikely" and would probably follow a sequence of smaller eruptions. "People were quite high in the mountain still, there was no-one in the T-bar area where the lahar came down but if they had have been, they would have been in danger." There has been elevated volcanic unrest on the mountain for the last six weeks and in the last week it has "exhibited the strongest volcanic tremor in two decades".

Recent airborne gas measurements indicated the volcano had maintained high levels of volcanic gas emissions and strong volcanic tremors. The Volcanic Alert ...

The Volcanic Alert Level reflects the current level of elevated volcanic unrest. Increasing Crater Lake temperature is reflecting the increasing upwelling of hot fluids and gases through Central Vent as well as the Northern vents. The Volcanic Alert Level should not be used to forecast future activity. While Volcano Alert Level 2 is mostly associated with volcanic unrest hazards, eruptions can still occur with little or no warning. "We are still awaiting laboratory analysis of the latest Crater Lake fluid and gas samples. The Aviation Colour Code remains at Yellow. This represents a change in character in the tremor, and the driving processes remain unclear." The active vent is filled by Crater Lake; water from this lake is frequently ejected on to the ice and snow during eruptions causing lahars. Such an eruption would most likely only follow a sequence of smaller eruptions." "During recent visits, active upwelling has only been observed at the Northern vents. "Laboratory analysis of the latest Crater Lake fluid samples are now processed. During the eruption explosions spread ash, rocks and water across the summit area, producing lahars in two valleys including one in the Whakapapa ski field.

A steam plume has been spotted above Mount Ruapehu's Crater Lake as the central North Island volcano continues to display volcanic unrest.

The plume remained visible until around 10.30am. Observations from that visit indicate that central vent continues to be actively upwelling, and the lake level is marginally higher. "We cannot rule out that very minor activity has occurred, which is why our scientists conducted an observation flight early this afternoon.

A steam plume was visible over Mount Ruapehu this morning, Geonet says. Duty volcanologist Geoff Kilgour said the first sign of the plume above the ...

• The Volcanic Alert Level reflects the current level of elevated volcanic unrest. The Volcanic Alert Level should not be used to forecast future activity. While Volcano Alert Level 2 is mostly associated with volcanic unrest hazards, eruptions can still occur with little or no warning. The Aviation Colour Code remains at Yellow. Laboratory analysis of the latest Crater Lake fluid samples are now processed. Kilgour said images of the plume indicate that atmospheric conditions favoured cloud formation, as cloud was also forming elsewhere around the volcano.

Locals have noticed a sizeable buildup of steam over the mountain and the temperature of crater lake has risen to 39C.

“To put it in perspective, it is an almighty mountian, I am but a human, it’s going to do what it’s going to do and I’ll have to live with it. “Mt Ruapehu is an active volcano and has the potential to erupt with little or no warning when in a state of elevated volcanic unrest.” “Of course we don’t know what it’s going to do, but it is unsual and there’s a lot of steam up there today.” “Some friends said this is what it did the last time the big eruption happened in 1995/96. There's a lot of steam coming out and the occasional smell of sulphur in the air, so there’s definitely something happening.” She said locals were certainly not panicking but were keeping a close eye on the mountain as it continued to release clouds of steam, and there was a noticable smell of sulphur in the air. It’s huffing and puffing again, but will a steamy Mt Ruapehu blow the house down or is it a case of the boy who cried wolf?