Taupō Volcanic Zone
Extreme Earth Events - 12ESS
Finn Le Sueur
2024
Akoranga 12 Mahi Tuatahi
Spend the first 10 minutes working on your New Zealand volcanoes
activity from the end of last class.
Ngā Whāinga Ako
- Identify the main volcanoes in the Taupo Volcanic
Zone
- Describe how each of these volcanoes form
- Identify the key features of each volcano type
Write the date and ngā whāinga ako in your book
Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ)
- The zone extends from Ruapehu & Ngauruhoe
(South-West) to Whakaari in the North-East
- All formed from the subduction of the Pacific
Plate under the Australasian Plate
- Pacific Plate is stretching the Australian
Plate
- It is spreading \(8mm\) in the East-West direction a
year
- This creates a thin crust (\(16km\) in some places)
- 10km under the surface a layer of magma (50km wide
and 160km long) is present
- This magma stays here until some of it rises to the
surface
- The magma escapes through old vents or creates new
volcanoes
- The thin crust and layer of magma contribute
to high volcanism in the area
Features of the TVZ
- Cone volcanoes
- Dome volcanoes
- Caldera volcanoes
- Geothermal areas
- Caldera volcano (super volcano)
- The huge crater formed by previous eruptions has
been partially filled by Lake Taupo
Source
Task/Ngohe
- Open Google Classroom and find the Taupō
Volcanic Zone task
- Follow the GNS URL in the attached document
- Pick a volcano, and answer the questions
about your volcano using the internet!
Source