Tongariro Volcanic Centre, New Zealand

The Tongariro massif with Ngauruhoe in the middle ground. Photo taken from the top of Ruapehu and courtesy of Mike Lyvers.

Tongariro is compound volcano, made of several coalescing volcanic cones. Most of the volcanic center is made of four andesite massifs: Kakaramea, Pihanga, Tongariro, and Ruapehu. Maungkatote and Hauhungatahi are two smaller eroded eruptive centers. Pukeonake is made of a satellite cone and associated flows. Ohakune consists of four craters. The volcanic center is surrounded by an extensive ring plain made of stream, debris flow, lahar, lava, and ashflow deposits.

Massive Ruapehu volcano, seen here from the south, forms an elongated massif composed of at least 4 overlapping volcanic edifices. Ruapehu anchors the southern end of the Taupo volcanic zone, and contains an active summit crater lake that makes Ruapehu one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes. Phreatic explosions have often produced mudflows, which have affected a ski area on the upper flanks and river valleys below the volcano. (caption by SI/USGS GVP) Photo by Bruce Houghton, 1980 (Wairakei Research Center).

Volcanoes of the Tongariro volcanic center. From Cole (1990).

The exposed portion of the Tongariro volcanic complex has grown steadily since at least 275,000 years. Intervals of vigorous cone growth occurred at 210,000-200,000, 130,000-70,000 years ago, and from 25,000 years ago to the present day. Simplified geologic map of Tongariro volcanic complex. Crosses show the locations of vents active in the last 50,000 years. From Cole (1990).

Cronin and Neall (1997) summarized the eruptive history of Tongariro for the last 75,000 years: 22,500 to 10,000 years ago: 1 large volume and large magnitude eruption 10,000 to 9,700 years ago: very frequent (1 eruption at least every 50 years) large volume and large magnitude eruptions 9,700 to present: years ago: frequent, low volume and low magnitude eruptions.

Location of main vents for the Tongariro andesite massif. The massif is made of at least 12 composite volcanoes. Simplified from Topping (1974).

Ngauruhoe is the youngest at Tongariro and most active volcano in New Zealand.

Sources of Information:

Cole, J.W., 1978, Andesites of the Tongariro volcanic centre, North island, New Zealand: Jour. Volc. Geothermal Res., v. 3, p. 121-153.

Cole, J.W., Graham, I.J., Hackett, W.R., and Houghton, B.F., 1986, Volcanology and petrology of the Quaternary composite volcanoes of the Tongariro volcanic center, Taupo volcanic zone: Roy. Soc. New Zealand Bull., 23, p. 224-250.

Cronin, S.J., and Neall, V.E., A late Quaternary stratigraphic framework for the northeastern Ruapehu and eastern Tongariro ring plains, New Zealand: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, v. 40, p. 185-197.

Hobden, B.J., Houghton, B.F., Lanphere, M.A., and Nairn, I.A., 1996, Growth of the Tongariro volcanic complex: new evidence from K-Ar age determinations: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, v. 39, p. 151-154.

Latter, J.H., 1981, Volcanic earthquakes and their relationship to eruptions at Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe volcanoes: Jour. Volc. Geothermal Res., v. 9, p. 293-310.

Nairn, I.A., and Self, S., 1978, Explosive eruptions and pyroclastic avalanches from Ngauruhoe in February 1975: Jour. Volc. Geothermal Res., v. 3, p. 39-60.

Topping, W.W., 1973, Tephrostratigraphy and chronology of Late Quaternary eruptions from the Tongariro volcanic centre, New Zealand: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, v. 16, p. 397-423.

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