What would happen if Taupo erupted again?

A repeat eruption of the size of either the Oruanui or Taupo eruptions would “devastate most of the North Island”, according to GNS. Taupo is part of a belt of active volcanoes known as the Taupo Volcanic Zone that runs from Ruapehu northeast to White Island and on towards the Kermadec Islands.

Can we predict future volcanic eruptions?

Working out if a volcano will erupt in future years is still impossible. Volcanologists combine several techniques to predict what will happen. They use monitors to detect movement in the rocks that make up the volcano and in the earth’s crust.

Can animals predict volcanic eruptions?

of natural phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Researchers attached transmitters to goats and sheep at Mount Etna to document their behavior. This showed that the animals are indeed able to indicate when the volcano is about to erupt.

How far in advance can scientists predict an impending volcanic eruption?

The science of forecasting a volcanic eruption has significantly advanced over the past 25 years. Most scientists think that the buildup preceding a catastrophic eruption would be detectable for weeks and perhaps months to years.

What are the chances of a Taupo volcano erupting?

Backing up findings of earlier studies, the new model put the annual probability of a Taupo eruption at any size at a very low chance of one in 800 – or at between 0.5 and 1.3 per cent within the next 500 years. “So we’re unlikely to see an eruption in our lifetimes,” he said.

What is the Volcanic Explosivity Index of Taupo?

An index of 8 is officially a super-eruption which is defined by expelled material of 1000 or more cubic km. Taupo spewed out 1150 cu/km of material and also had another massive eruption which was the biggest in the last 5000 years around the year 186 AD which measured 7 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.

What is Lake Taupo and why does it matter?

Lake Taupo essentially fills the hole left by one of those monster blows – the Oruanui eruption, more than 25,400 years ago, which spewed 530 cubic km of molten rock into the atmosphere and spread ash as far as Antarctica.

How big was the Taupo plume?

In doing so, it turns out that the Taupo plume was closer to 31-37 kilometers tall during the strongest parts of the eruption and 25-26 kilometers during some of the less vigorous times. This pulls the Taupo eruption out of the realm of “ultraplinian” and back into Plinian eruption.