Tongariro

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Tongariro
The Tongariro massif

The Tongariro massif

height 1978  m
location Ruapehu District , Manawatu-Wanganui , North Island , New Zealand
Mountains Ruahine Range , Volcanic Plateau
Coordinates 39 ° 8 ′ 0 ″  S , 175 ° 38 ′ 30 ″  E Coordinates: 39 ° 8 ′ 0 ″  S , 175 ° 38 ′ 30 ″  E
Tongariro (New Zealand)
Tongariro
Type Stratovolcano
Last eruption 2012
Normal way Hike

The Tongariro is a volcanic massif on the North Island of New Zealand .

description

The Tongariro massif consists of a collection of volcanic cones that have formed over the past 275,000 years. The most active craters are Te Māri , Emerald , North Crater, and Red Crater . The youngest cone of the Tongariro complex, the Ngauruhoe , was formed 2500 years ago and is the highest point of the Tongariro today. The Ngauruhoe is often referred to as an independent volcano, but geologically it belongs to the Tongariro complex.

There are numerous fumaroles on the Tongariro . The remains with the scattered craters are the result of massive eruptions . Three of the crater lakes are called Emerald Lakes because of their bright colors .

geography

At 1978 m, the highest point of the massif is in the Volcanic Plateau, about twenty kilometers south of Lake Taupo . The Tongariro massif is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape in the center of the island.

Eruptions

In the years 1855 to 1897, five eruptions of the volcano in the area of Te Māri Crater were documented. A large eruption accompanied by earthquakes formed the upper Te Māri Crater in 1869 . Māori reported at the time of "bright red flames that pierced the smoke, as if the smoke exploded and then fell to the ground as snow". In 1892 the Tongariro broke out again. This time the volcano hurled out immense amounts of mud, boulders, and steam. The last eruption at the end of the 19th century took place in November 1896. The mountain was active until October 1897. Thereafter, the Te Māri Craters remained quiet until 2012.

After 115 years, the volcano erupted again on August 6, 2012 at Te Māri Crater . An ejection of ash and glowing rock was observed. Since then, the volcano has been considered active again and has been set to warning level 2 of the New Zealand Vulcanic Alert Level . It broke out again on November 21, 2012.

Tongariro National Park

The Tongariro National Park , in which the Ruapehu lies next to Tongariro and Ngauruhoe , was founded in 1894 and is therefore the oldest national park in the country. It is also one of the oldest national parks on earth. Since 1990, the Park World Heritage of UNESCO and since 1993 the first world heritage with a culturally and religiously significant landscape.

Various scenes from the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings were filmed in Tongariro National Park.

tourism

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing , a hiking trail between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, is popular with hikers .

Web links

Commons : Mount Tongariro  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Tongariro . GeoNet , accessed on November 22, 2012 (English).
  2. Mt Tongariro eruption blows 3 new steam vents . August 8, 2012, accessed November 22, 2012 .
  3. http://info.geonet.org.nz
  4. Ash cloud over New Zealand: Tongariro volcano erupts again. November 21, 2012, accessed November 22, 2012 .