Ruapehu

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.