There are many different types of volcanoes around New Zealand. This interactive map shows where the major volcanoes are, the types of volcanoes and various facts such as when they last erupted. Select a label to find out more.
To find out more about the Auckland volcanic field1 go to this interactive.
To use this interactive, move your mouse or finger over any of the labelled boxes and select to obtain more information.
Transcript
Kaikohe, Bay of Islands
A scoria2 cone volcano3 that last exploded around 1,300–1,800 years ago. Located north-west of Paihia in the Bay of Islands, it is the northernmost volcano in New Zealand.
Acknowledgement: GeoNet
Whāngārei Volcanic Field
Formed over a hot spot (not a plate boundary), similar to Auckland, but much older. The Whāngārei field was active from 2.3 million years ago until approximately 30,000 years ago. It produced mainly scoria cone4 volcanoes.
Acknowledgement: Public domain
Little Barrier Island
An extinct andesite5 cone. The lava6 was thick so it formed a steep-sided cone, which has been weathered7 over time to form the present shape of the island. Last erupted between 1 and 3 million years ago.
Acknowledgement: Dick Veitch
Mayor Island
Mayor Island last erupted around 500–1,000 years ago. Around 6,300 years ago Mayor Island exploded violently forming two calderas8. These were largely filled in by subsequent eruptions.
Acknowledgement: Lloyd Homer, GNS Science
White Island
The summit of a submerged stratovolcano9 (a type of cone volcano). Measuring from the seafloor, the volcano is over 1,900 m in height and is still active, releasing gases10 and steam regularly. The most recent eruption was in December 2019.
Acknowledgement: GeoNet
Whale Island
A complex volcano (made of more than one type, e.g. caldera11 and cone). Classified as active but last eruption was around 9,000 years ago. Hot springs can still be found on the island, which suggests the vent12 is still intact.
Acknowledgement: Public domain
Tarawera
Last erupted in 1886, destroying nearby settlements including Te Wairoa. This eruption also destroyed the world-famous Pink and White Terraces. Mt Tarawera is a ryolite cone volcano, part of the Okataina volcanic centre.
Acknowledgement: Carl Lindburg, Creative Commons 3.0
Ōhakuri
A caldera formed around 240,000 years ago. Unusually, this erupted only weeks after the explosion that formed Lake Rotorua, located 30 km to the north-east of Ōhakuri. Ōhakuri is part of the Taupō volcanic zone13.
Acknowledgement: Vicki Mundoo, Creative Commons 2.0
Rotorua
Lake Rotorua is a caldera volcano that erupted about 240,000 years ago. The eruption caused the mountain to collapse, and the hole has since been filled by water, forming a lake. The eruption was followed weeks later by an explosion at Ōhakuri.
Acknowledgement: GeoNet
Taupō
A caldera volcano that last erupted about 1,800 years ago. This eruption was the most violent the world has experienced in the past 5,000 years. The lake covers many separate vents, three of which were involved in the last eruption.
Acknowledgement: GeoNet
Ngāuruhoe
A stratovolcano (a type of cone volcano) that is still active. It first erupted around 2,500 years ago, and the most recent eruption was in 1975. Ngāuruhoe is formed from a side vent of the Tongariro volcano.
Acknowledgement: GeoNet
Tongariro
Geologically a group of 12 volcanoes, located north of Mt Ruapehu, which also includes Mt Ngāuruhoe. Part of the Taupō volcanic zone. Last eruption was in 1896 from the Te Mari crater on the north-west side of the mountain.
Acknowledgement: GeoNet
Ruapehu
The highest mountain in the North Island (2,797 m) is a stratovolcano (a type of cone volcano). The volcano has three summits. Crater Lake is located in the current14 active crater close to the summit. Last erupted in 2007.
Acknowledgement: GeoNet
Taranaki
An andesite cone volcano that last erupted in 1854. Formed over a period of around 130,000 years, this mountain is an almost perfect cone shape – one of the best examples of a cone volcano worldwide.
Acknowledgement: Kubais, licensed through 123RF.com
Akaroa, Banks Peninsula
Banks Peninsula was formed by stratovolcanoes (a type of cone volcano), particularly at Akaroa and Lyttelton. This area was once a plate boundary, similar to the Taupō volcanic zone today. Last erupted 6 million years ago.
Acknowledgement: Philo Vivero, Creative Commons 3.0
Mount Horrible
Mt Horrible is the high point on this landscape – it is the the projecting corner at the edge of the bluff. The basalt15 from this ancient volcano forms the landscape and harbour of Timaru. It is also the source of the local bluestone. Mt Horrible last erupted around 2 million years ago.
Acknowledgement: Google Earth
Mount Cargill
An extinct shield volcano16 (formed by a volcanic field) that last erupted around 10 million years ago. The rock from the eruption formed basalt columns on the eastern side of the mountain, the organ pipes.
Acknowledgement: Public domain
- Auckland volcanic field: An area of basaltic volcanism in Auckland city that is not associated with a tectonic plate boundary. It includes about 50 volcanoes over an area of 360 square kilometres.
- scoria: A type of volcanic rock (igneous rock) that can be found in Auckland and also Mount Tarawera. Generally associated with basaltic or andesitic volcanoes. It is dark in appearance and often contains holes formed by escaping gases.
- cone volcano: A type of volcano that includes stratovolcanoes. Formed by the accumulation of many different lava flows and pyroclastic deposits. Associated with andesite rocks.
- scoria cone: Scoria cones form when fragmented magma in the form of scoria clasts piles up around a volcanic vent. They are also sometimes referred to as cinder cones.
- andesite: A type of rock that contains moderate amounts of silica and iron. Includes rocks such as scoria. Associated with cone volcanoes or stratovolcanoes. Mt Taranaki and Mt Tongariro are examples of andesite volcanoes.
- lava: Magma that has erupted from a volcano and has come to the surface.
- weathering: Chemical, mechanical (including freezing and thawing) and biological processes that break down rocks into smaller pieces. Weathering does not include the transport away of broken-down material.
- caldera: When a volcano erupts, a large volume of magma (lava) can spew onto the Earth’s surface. When this large volume of material is removed from beneath the volcano, it can cause it to collapse into the emptied cavern to form a depression. This depression or basin is called a caldera. Some calderas are several kilometres deep and over 25 kilometres wide.
- stratovolcano: A type of cone volcano that is built up layer by layer over subsequent eruptions. Generally steep sided and formed by moderately hot lava. Often form andesite rocks. An example is Mt Ngāuruhoe in the North Island.
- gases: The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states. Gases have the ability to diffuse readily and to become distributed uniformly throughout any container.
- caldera: When a volcano erupts, a large volume of magma (lava) can spew onto the Earth’s surface. When this large volume of material is removed from beneath the volcano, it can cause it to collapse into the emptied cavern to form a depression. This depression or basin is called a caldera. Some calderas are several kilometres deep and over 25 kilometres wide.
- vent: The area of a volcano where the magma is able to push through in an eruption. One volcano may contain several vents.
- Taupō Volcanic Zone: A region of active volcanism that stretches approximately from Tauranga to Taupō in the central North Island. Associated with plate tectonics – the Pacific plate is subducted under the Australian plate.
- current: The flow of electric charge through a conductor.
- basalt: A type of rock that contains a lot of iron but not much silica, can form spectacular columns on cooling. Associated with volcanic fields such as Auckland or Whāngārei.
- shield volcano: Formed by relatively hot fluid lava, shield volcanoes have shallow sides and are often formed from basaltic lava. This type of volcano is associated with volcanic fields such as the one in Auckland. Rangitoto is an example of a small shield volcano.
