Research into Ubehebe Craters in California’s Death Valley, a volcanic zone similar to the one found beneath Auckland, has found evidence of base surges 10-15km from volcanic vents.
But, how likely is a volcanic eruption in Auckland, in our lifetime?
University of Auckland professor Jan Lindsay told The Front Page the threat is not immediate.
“To put things into perspective, we’ve had about 53 eruptions and volcanoes from over a 200,000-year period,” she said.
At least 42 of Auckland’s 53 volcanoes show evidence of phreatomagmatic eruptions, which are known to involve base surges.
“A base surge is a fast-moving flow of gases and volcanic ash, which is little tiny rock fragments travelling along the ground basically. If you have ever seen images of the twin towers collapsing or a nuclear explosion, there’s often a big ash cloud or smoke that billows upwards. But, there’s also a cloud that travels along the ground at the bottom, and that’s a base surge,” Lindsay said.
While scientists consider the probability of an eruption from the Auckland volcanic field occurring within our lifetimes to be low, the field is active.
It’s not anything to lose sleep over, Lindsay said, but it’s always good to be educated and well-prepared.
“Just perhaps know where to go for reputable information, so Auckland Emergency Management and places like that,” she said.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about research into volcanic activity.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
