On December 26, 2004, an M9.2 earthquake in the Indian Ocean caused a devastating tsunami that tragically claimed the lives of around 230,000 people and affected 14 countries. This event marked the first major global disaster of the 21st century and remains one of the deadliest in recent history.
Early in the evening of 15 January 2022, Tonga’s Hunga volcano erupted with the largest and most energetic explosion recorded in modern times. The eruption, which occurred at the same time as Cyclone Cody, caused a far-reaching tsunami that impacted our coastlines and booming sounds that were heard across the globe.
Minor volcanic unrest continues at Mt Ruapehu as lake temperature slowly increases. Volcanic Alert Level remains at 1.
Over recent months Te Wai ā-moe (Ruapehu Crater Lake) has remained cool but recent data suggest a weak heating trend is underway. The lake temperature is now around 10°C to 11°C, slightly up from the low of 8°C. Our gas monitoring sensors continue to measure low–moderate volcanic sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions, and volcanic tremor is still weak. An eruption remains unlikely. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 1 and the Aviation Colour Code at Green.
Welcome, haere mai to another GeoNet Data Blog. Today’s blog looks at how water from Silica Rapids on Mt Ruapehu is analysed at NZGAL, the New Zealand Geothermal Analytical Laboratory, at GNS Science.
End of eruption at Whakaari/White Island, steam and gas emissions remain variable. Volcanic Alert Level lowered to Level 2 and Aviation Colour Code changed to Yellow.
Based on observations from a monitoring flight on 18 October 2024, recent images from GeoNet’s cameras, and satellite imagery, we can confirm that the recent minor eruptive activity Whakaari/White Island has now stopped, with no further ash emission from the volcano.
This week ShakeOut, our national earthquake drill and tsunami hikoi, takes place on Thursday 24 October. It is a chance for New Zealanders to practice their best drop, cover, hold and refamiliarise themselves with their tsunami evacuation routes.
While you can easily see the latest quakes we have located on our website and app, we also have a handy tool that lets you search through our whole earthquake catalogue, that goes back to 1815!
Two strong earthquakes shook central New Zealand on Sunday, 6 October, starting with an early morning M5.7 in the Cook Strait that was reported felt by over 37,000 people. The day finished with another strong quake, this time a M4.8 earthquake in Pōrangahau at 11:19PM.
Minor volcanic unrest continues at Mt Ruapehu as lake remains cool. Volcanic Alert Level remains at 1.
Since our last activity bulletin on Ruapehu (29 August), the temperature of Te Wai ā-moe (Ruapehu Crater Lake) has remained cool, declining from 11°C to 8°C, the lowest temperature measured since 1970. Our volcanic gas monitoring continues to measure low-moderate volcanic sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions. An eruption remains unlikely.
Welcome, haere mai to another GeoNet Data Blog. Today’s blog is a little bit different. GNS Science’s NZ Active Faults Database (NZAFD) is not a GeoNet data product but if you like earthquake data as much as we do, you will likely find this dataset a useful tool to use in tandem with our earthquake products.