Volcanoes – timeline
Uncovering our explosive past – a look at some of the historical aspects of volcanoes in New Zealand.
10 million BC – Mt Cargill erupts
Mt Cargill near Dunedin erupts, forming the Organ Pipes.
Columnar basalt
Basalt is associated with great rock columns that are found in many places around the Earth, such as the Organ Pipes near Mt Cargill, Dunedin.
6 million BC – Banks Peninsula formed
Banks Peninsula in Canterbury is formed through volcanic eruptions.
3 million BC – Little Barrier Island formed
Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf north of Auckland is formed through volcanic eruptions.
2.3 million BC – Whāngārei volcanic field active
The Whāngārei volcanic field produces scoria cone volcanoes, similar to those found in Auckland. This field is now extinct.
2 million BC – Mt Horrible erupts
Mt Horrible erupts, forming the Timaru harbour.
240,000 BC – Double trouble eruptions
Rotorua and Ōhakuri erupt within days of each other.
Rotorua caldera formation
Caldera eruptions leave behind large craters in the Earth – not what we think of when someone says volcano. Watch this animated video to see how Lake Rotorua could have formed from a caldera eruption.
150,000 BC – First eruptions in Auckland
First eruptions in the Auckland volcanic field at Pukekawa, now the Auckland Domain.
140,000 BC – Lake Pupuke formed
Lake Pupuke is formed and trees are fossilised on Takapuna beach.
Pupuke Moana (Lake Pupuke)
Pupuke Moana (Lake Pupuke) on the North Shore of Auckland is a good example of a maar. It is the crater of a scoria cone volcano that last erupted around 140,000 years ago. The lava from explosions at Lake Pupuke trapped many trees, which have become fossilised. These are still visible at Takapuna beach.
Acknowledgement: Google Earth
133,000 BC – Mt Taranaki erupts
Mt Taranaki, an andesite volcano in the central North Island, begins to erupt.
18,000 BC – Mt Smart formed
Mt Smart is formed, and Onepoto Basin is formed in a separate eruption.
Onepoto Basin
Dr Phil Shane talks about his work studying rock cores from Onepoto Basin. This research helps the scientists learn more about the history of volcanic eruptions in New Zealand and perhaps predict when another eruption could occur.
15,000 BC – One Tree Hill formed
One Tree Hill, an iconic landmark of Auckland, is formed through volcanic activity.
500 BC – Mt Ngāuruhoe first begins to erupt
A vent of Mt Tongariro becomes active and forms the neighbouring Mt Ngāuruhoe.
200 AD – Taupō erupts
Taupō erupts forming Lake Taupō – the world’s most powerful eruption in 5,000 years.
The Taupō Volcanic Zone
The Taupō Volcanic Zone extends from Mt Ruapehu through Rotorua to White Island and is the front of a wedge where the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates collide.
1000 AD – Mayor Island formed
A volcano in the Bay of Plenty erupts, forming Mayor Island, also known as Tūhua Island.
1314 – Mt Tarawera erupts
This eruption covers the region with a layer of ash.
1400 – Rangitoto erupts
This eruption forms Rangitoto Island.
Nga Rangi-i-totongia a Tamatekapua (Rangitoto Island)
Rangitoto is a small shield volcano with small scoria cones on top. It is the site of the most recent of Auckland’s volcanic eruptions, around 600 years ago, when Māori already inhabited the area. It is also the largest of the Auckland eruptions, equalling the volume of all previous eruptions combined.
Acknowledgement: Avenue, Creative Commons 2.5
1870 – Ngāuruhoe erupts again
Ngāuruhoe erupts on 7 July 1870. It first formed about 2,500 years ago.
1886 – Mt Tarawera erupts
Mt Tarawera erupts, destroying the Pink and White Terraces.
The Terraces by Charles Blomfield
This famous 1885 painting shows the Pink Terraces in the foreground and the White Terraces in the background.
Find out more about the on-going search to rediscover the Pink and White Terraces.
1896 – Mt Tongariro erupts
Mt Tongariro in the central North Island erupts.
1915 – Continental drift theory
Alfred Wegener proposes model of continental drift.
Alfred Wegener
Alfred Wegener (pictured here on the right) realised that many continents fitted together like reverse templates. This caused him to propose the theory of continental drift, which evolved into the ideas of plate tectonics.
1954 – Mt Ngāuruhoe erupts
Mt Ngauruhoe in the central North Island continues to erupt and deposit lava.
1960s – Theory of plate tectonics developed
Many strands of evidence are tied together into the encompassing theory of plate tectonics.
Plate tectonics
Professor Richard Price describes the theory of plate tectonics. He talks about the history of the ideas that make up the theory and describes how these ideas relate to volcanology.
1974 – Mt Ngāuruhoe erupts
Mt Ngauruhoe continues to erupt with an estimated 45 eruptions in the 20th century.
1995–1996 – Mt Ruapehu erupts
Spectacular eruptions are widely documented in the media.
Mt Ruapehu
Mt Ruapehu in the central North Island remains an active volcano. On 17 June 1996, Mount Ruapehu erupted, sending ash into the sky.
2001 – Whakaari/White Island erupts
Whakaari/White Island remains active and routinely produces gas clouds.
2007 – Lahar on Mt Ruapehu
A lahar (mudflow or landslide) on Mt Ruapehu is a result of the 1996 eruptions.
2019 – Whakaari/White Island erupts
On 9 December 2019 Whakaari/White Island erupted. At the time 47 people were on the island and at least 22 were killed by the eruption.
Whakaari/White Island
The summit of a submerged stratovolcano (a type of cone volcano). Measuring from the seafloor, the volcano is over 1,900 m in height and is still active, releasing gases and steam regularly. The most recent eruption was in December 2019.
Acknowledgement: GeoNet
2020 – charges laid after the Whakaari/White Island disaster
On 30 November 2020 the government agency WorkSafe filed charges against 13 parties in relation to the Whakaari/White Island disaster, these include GNS Science and the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema).
2022 – Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapa volcanic eruption
On 15 January 2022 large underwater volcano Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapa exploded, creating a tsunami that travelled around the Pacific, a giant cloud of ash that reached 20 km into the atmosphere and an explosion that was heard thousands of kilometres away – the result of shock waves. This devastated the Tonga Kingdom's islands.
Satellite imagery of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption
This tweet from NIWA shows high-resolution Himawari satellite imagery of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption near Tonga on 15 January 2022 as it happened.
Imagery courtesy of Himawari satellite, Meteorological Satellite Center/JMA.
