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Armageddon down under.

I cannot imagine what it was like 25 km to the SE of us, on June 10th, 1886. The guests at a hotel that allowed visitors access to the “8th Wonder of the Natural World” and the inhabitants of 7 Maori villages felt the ground start to rumble at about 1:00 am. Then at about 2:00 am, it started:

Mt. Tarawera, bordering the world-renowned thermal lakes, erupted.

It spread. The world seemed to come apart as a rift zone erupted. By 3:30 am, a 16 km rift zone was exploding, with 21 different ejection sites – calderas – blasting ejecta mixed with water 11 km into the air. By 5:30 am all hell had broken loose. Complete and total destruction on a scale never seen before by people in the area.

The super-heated ejecta piled up to 40 metres thick, blocking parts of the valley. Eventually a new lake formed (Rotomahana), vastly greater in both size and depth than the original two lakes.

Today the Waimangu volcanic valley contains 7 of the original ejection craters, with 10 under the lake and 4 on what remains of Mt. Tarawera.

It remains one of the most active volcanic areas on earth.

Dec 27th, 2022. Some details.
17 years after the eruption it was still a wasteland.
Emerald Lake. The southernmost crater.
Infernal Crater.
Lake Rotomahana with Mt. Tarawera in the distance.
One of the 21 craters visible on the side of the mountain.

But seriously, it’s the videos that tell the story:

Echo crater. The average temp is 55°C and the PH is 3.5. Not a healthy combination.
The water is actually boiling here.
The stream from Echo crater. Beautiful but deadly.
One really should stay on the paths here.
The colours are extraordinary.
Ribbit!
The edges of the lake still have active “fumarole” or volcanic vents.
Mini-geysers.

David and Bernadette Harris

6 responses to “Armageddon down under.”

  1. Kas Avatar
    Kas

    Don’t forget the macaroni

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    1. David and Bernadette Harris Avatar
      David and Bernadette Harris

      Barrels of it! 🤓

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  2. Gwen Avatar
    Gwen

    Absolutely amazing!

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    1. David and Bernadette Harris Avatar
      David and Bernadette Harris

      It is quite something up close! Like walking on a different planet.

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  3. Granddad Avatar
    Granddad

    Wow, that must have been a scary day when the eruption began at 2 AM – with a Volcanic Explosive Index of 5, which puts it high up on the power chart – and lasted until 8 AM.

    I think can be fairly said that a volcanic eruption can ruin your whole day.

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    1. David and Bernadette Harris Avatar
      David and Bernadette Harris

      I think that’s a fair statement. Maybe your whole week! 😏

      I cannot imagine what that was like. There have been a few minor eruptions and destructive geysers since then, and it is still considered “active”. The area is covered in sensors.

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