About 90 Napier (Tamatea Intermediate) school children were on Mt Tongariro within 100 metres of the site near the Ketetahi Springs when it began to erupt again today (they all got down and back to their buses in the carpark safely).
Their teacher was able to video the ash cloud as it ascended. It was only a five minute blow, but there was no warning seismic activity (which there was last time), so the geophysicists are concerned they are not able to rely on that as a prediction any more.
Last week there were thoughts that nearby Mt Ruapaehu might do something, as the temperature under it has risen significantly. However, because the crater lake temperature had not gone up, it was assumed the vent was blocked, and that this might mean a more explosive event...
No-one seems to know if the heat under Ruapaehu and this five minute ash puff on Tongariro are linked.
All very exciting!
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| Te Maari crater blows again. Stuff |
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| Stuff |
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| Video Footage shot by Tamatea Intermediate school teacher Lomi Schaumkel. |
Very dramatic and the first I've heard of it I'm ashamed to say. Not even one of those headlines: 'Volcano Erupts - No Brits Involved'.
ReplyDeleteI haven't listened to any newscast yet today, I wonder if it will get a mention at this end of the world if nothing 'serious' happened...
ReplyDeleteThis looks dangerous and exiting and beautiful at the same time. We are wondering whether it is wise to do the Togaririo crossing next January.
ReplyDeleteHa SP. Well, it was very fresh news here! Remember where you heard it first. We get news like that in NZ, generally along the lines of 'ex-Kiwi makes it big" and you find out they were born here but left when they were three...
ReplyDeleteMonica, probably not. We are only a blip in the Pacific Ocean. You can often find us in the atlas under the printer's address...
Ben, they are saying they don't expect it to escalate, but that it may rumble on for a year, like it did 100 years ago when it last had its little play.
At the moment the Tongariro crossing is closed, but the rest of the mountain is open.
Quite exciting for those on or near the mountain at the time. Let's face it living in New Zealand means that physical instability is something with which we live.
ReplyDeleteGB - yes. Except I always seem to forget in between the unstable events.
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