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Coordinates: 39°07′47″S 175°38′09″E / 39.12972°S 175.63583°E / -39.12972; 175.63583
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{{Short description|Compound volcano in New Zealand}}
{{Redirect|Tongariro}}
{{Redirect|Tongariro}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox Mountain
{{Use New Zealand English|date=May 2018}}
| Name = Mount Tongariro
{{Infobox mountain
| Photo = Tongariro from the air.jpg
| name = Mount Tongariro
| Caption =
| photo = Tongariro National Park 2 (261409200).jpg
| Elevation = 1,967 metres (6,453 feet)
| photo_caption =
| Location = [[North Island]], [[New Zealand]]
| Prominence =
| elevation_m = 1978
| elevation_ref = <ref name=gvp>{{cite gvp |vn=241080 |name=Tongariro |access-date=2010-03-07}}</ref>
| Coordinates = {{coord|39|8|S|175|39|E|type:mountain_region:NZ}}
| Topographic map =
| prominence =
| location = New Zealand
| Type=[[Complex volcano]]
| map = New Zealand
| Volcanic_Arc/Belt= [[Taupo Volcanic Zone]]
| Age=
| map_size =
| label_position = right
| Last eruption=1977
| coordinates = {{coord|39|07|47|S|175|38|09|E|type:mountain_region:NZ_scale:100000|display=inline,title}}
| First ascent =
| range_coordinates =
| Easiest route =
| coordinates_ref = <ref name=gvp/>
| topo =
| type = [[Complex volcano]]
| age = 275,000 years<ref name=trvage>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808201101/http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/activity/tongariro/about.html |archive-date=2012-08-08 |url=http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/activity/tongariro/about.html |title=About Tongariro |publisher=[[GNS Science|GeoNet Hazards Monitoring Network]] |access-date=7 August 2012}}</ref>
| volcanic_arc/belt = [[Taupō Volcanic Zone]]
| last_eruption = 21 November 2012 13:50 <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7979461/Mt-Tongariro-erupts-again |title=Mt Tongariro Erupts Again |date=21 November 2012 |publisher=Stuff.co.nz |access-date=21 November 2012 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924152238/http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7979461/Mt-Tongariro-erupts-again |url-status=live }}</ref>
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route = [[Tongariro Alpine Crossing]]
| embedded ={{#tag:mapframe|[{{Wikipedia:Map data/Northern North Island Volcanics}},{{Wikipedia:Map data/Mount Tongariro}}]
|frameless=1
| align =center
| text =Map centered on Mount Tongariro to show approximate selected surface volcanic features and [[andesite|andesitic]] deposits shaded {{legend-inline|#fb7977|red}}. Vents and cones or craters active in the last 15,000 years are shaded {{legend-inline|#fdbc3b|orange-yellow}} with craters in {{legend-inline|#ffff00|yellow outline}}. Lakes in vents are outlined in {{legend-inline|#0000ff|blue}}. To the south volcanic deposits are continuous with those from [[Mount Ruapehu]]. Mixed and sedimentary deposits are not shown. The andesitic deposits of the [[Kakaramea-Tihia Massif]], and [[Pihanga]] are to the north beyond [[Lake Rotoaira]]. Clicking on the map enlarges it, and enables panning and mouseover of volcanic deposits name/wikilink and ages before present for wider volcanic context. The key to the shading of other volcanics that are shown (active in last million years odd) with panning is {{legend-inline|#cc6600|[[basalt]]}} (shades of brown/orange), {{legend-inline|#aa4400|[[Monogenetic volcanic field|monogenetic]] basalts}}, {{legend-inline|#efaf00|undifferentiated basalts}}, {{legend-inline|#ff6600|arc basalts}}, {{legend-inline|#ff4400|arc ring basalts}}, {{legend-inline|#bb00bb|[[dacite]]}}, {{legend-inline|#ff2200|basaltic andesite}}, {{legend-inline|#ff00ff|[[rhyolite]]}}, ([[ignimbrite]] is lighter shades of violet), and {{legend-inline|#aaaaaa|plutonic or intusive}} (gray). White shading has been used for postulated calderas (usually subsurface now).
| width =250
| height =250
| latitude =-39.1297
| longitude =175.6358
| icon =no
| zoom =10
}}
}}
}}


'''Mount Tongariro''' ({{IPA2|toŋaɾiɾo|[[Māori language|Māori]] pronunciation:}}) is a [[complex volcano|volcanic complex]] in the [[North Island]] of [[New Zealand]]. It is located 20&nbsp;kilometres to the southwest of [[Lake Taupo]], and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of the central North Island.
'''Mount Tongariro''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɒ|ŋ|ɡ|ə|r|ɪr|oʊ}}; {{IPA-mi|tɔŋaɾiɾɔ|lang}}) is a [[complex volcano|compound volcano]] in the [[Taupō Volcanic Zone]] of the [[North Island]] of [[New Zealand]]. It is located {{cvt|20|km}} to the southwest of [[Lake Taupō]], and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of the central North Island.


==Geology==
The volcanic massif, often simply referred to as ''Tongariro'', has a height of 1,978&nbsp;metres. It first erupted about 260,000&nbsp;years ago. The volcano consists of at least 12 cones; [[Mount Ngauruhoe|Ngauruhoe]], while often regarded as a separate mountain, is geologically a vent of Tongariro. It is also the most active, having erupted more than 70 times since 1839, although the last eruption took place in 1974-1975.<ref>Eileen McSaveney, Carol Stewart and Graham Leonard. [http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/NaturalHazardsAndDisasters/HistoricVolcanicActivity/3/en Historic volcanic activity: Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe], Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 2007-11-05. Accessed 2008-01-01.</ref> Activity has also been recorded at other vents. Red Crater last erupted [[Volcanic ash|ash]] in 1926 and contains active [[fumarole]]s. There are many explosion craters on the massif; water has filled some of these to form the Blue Lake and the Emerald Lakes.
Mount Tongariro is part of the Tongariro volcanic centre, which consists of four massifs made of [[andesite]]: Tongariro, [[Kakaramea-Tihia Massif]], [[Pihanga]],
and [[Mount Ruapehu|Ruapehu]]<ref>{{cite journal |title=Andesites of the Tongariro volcanic centre, North Island, New Zealand |first=J.W. |last=Cole |journal=Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research |volume=3 |issue=1–2 |date=March 1978 |pages=121–153 |doi=10.1016/0377-0273(78)90007-0 |bibcode=1978JVGR....3..121C}}</ref> at the southern end of the [[North Island Volcanic Plateau]]. The andesitic eruptions formed Tongariro, a steep [[stratovolcano]], reaching a height of {{cvt|1978|m|ft|0}}. Tongariro is composed of layers of both [[lava]] and [[tephra]] and the eruptions that built the current stratovolcano commenced about 275,000 years ago.<ref name="trvage"/>


Tongariro consists of at least 12 cones. [[Mount Ngauruhoe|Ngauruhoe]], while often regarded as a separate mountain, is geologically a cone of Tongariro. It is also the most active vent, having erupted more than 70 times since 1839, the last episode in 1973 to 1975.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first1=Eileen |last1=McSaveney |first2=Carol |last2=Stewart |first3=Graham |last3=Leonard |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/NaturalHazardsAndDisasters/HistoricVolcanicActivity/3/en |title=Historic volcanic activity: Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe |encyclopedia=Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |date=2007-11-05 |access-date=2008-01-01 |archive-date=30 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430101428/http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/NaturalHazardsAndDisasters/HistoricVolcanicActivity/3/en |url-status=live }}</ref>
Mount Tongariro is in the [[Tongariro National Park]], New Zealand's first national park and one of the earliest in the world. It given to the nation in 1887 by [[Te Heuheu Tukino IV]] (Horonuku), paramount chief of the [[Māori]] [[Ngati Tuwharetoa]] [[iwi]] in order to preserve its natural beauty. The park also includes the peaks of Ngauruhoe and [[Mount Ruapehu|Ruapehu]], both of which lie to the southwest of Tongariro. The national park is a dual World Heritage Area for its outstanding natural and intangible cultural values.


[[File:Emerald Lakes from the summit of Red Crater.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|Emerald Lakes from the summit of Red Crater]]
The popular [[hiking]] route called [[Tongariro Alpine Crossing]] passes between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe.
Activity has also been recorded at other vents in recent history. Te Māri Craters erupted in 2012, for the first time since 1897. Red Crater last erupted [[Volcanic ash|ash]] in 1926 and contains active [[fumarole]]s. There are many explosion craters on the massif; water has filled some of these to form [[Blue Lake (Waikato)|Blue Lake]] and the [[Emerald Lakes, New Zealand|Emerald Lakes]].


The high altitude and severe alpine climate between March and October allow snowfall in the winter (there are commercial ski-fields at neighbouring Mount Ruapehu) and rain can freeze, causing [[Glaze ice|verglas]]; in contrast in the mid to late summer, the mountains can be bare apart from remnant patches of snow in south-facing gullies. Unlike nearby [[Mount Ruapehu|Mt. Ruapehu]], no glaciers exist on Tongariro today. However, geomorphological evidence in the form of moraines and cirques indicates the former presence of mountain glaciers. Dating of [[moraines]] on western Tongariro show that valley glaciers were present at several times during the last glacial cycle, before melting away at the end of the [[Last Glacial Maximum]] approximately 18,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Eaves |first1=Shaun R. |last2=N. Mackintosh |first2=Andrew |last3=Winckler |first3=Gisela |last4=Schaefer |first4=Joerg M. |last5=Alloway |first5=Brent V. |last6=Townsend |first6=Dougal B. |date=2016-01-15 |title=A cosmogenic 3He chronology of late Quaternary glacier fluctuations in North Island, New Zealand (39°S) |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |volume=132 |pages=40–56 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.11.004 |bibcode=2016QSRv..132...40E}}</ref>
Mount Tongariro and its surroundings are also one of the several locations which [[Peter Jackson]] chose to shoot the [[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy]].


==History==
<gallery>
Mount Tongariro is in the [[Tongariro National Park]], New Zealand's first national park and one of the earliest in the world. It was set aside (literally "made sacred") in 1887 by [[Te Heuheu Tukino IV]] (Horonuku), paramount chief of the [[Māori people|Māori]] [[Ngati Tuwharetoa]] [[iwi]] and made a national park in order to preserve its natural beauty. The park also includes the peaks of Ngauruhoe and [[Mount Ruapehu|Ruapehu]], both of which lie to the southwest of Tongariro. The national park is a dual [[World Heritage Site]] for its outstanding natural and intangible cultural values.
Image:NZ-Tongariro.png|Location of Tongariro in New Zealand

Image:Map_new_zealand_volcanoes.gif|Major volcanoes of New Zealand
The [[Tongariro Alpine Crossing]] hiking route passes between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe.
Image:Mt_Tongariro_from_Mt_Ngauruhoe_1981.jpg|Mt Tongariro from the crater rim of Mt Ngauruhoe, showing crater lake

Image:Tongariro.jpg|Tongariro from the north
Mount Tongariro and its surroundings are also one of the several locations which [[Peter Jackson]] chose to shoot [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy]].
Image:Tongariro NP.jpg|Sunrise at the Tongariro National Park

Image:Tongariro Crossing Emerald Lakes Blue Lake.jpg|Tongariro Crossing
===Eruptive history===
Image:New Zealand Tongariro Crossing.jpg|Emerald Lakes
The oldest recorded volcanism in the area was at 933,000 ± 46,000 years ago at [[Hauhungatahi]], north-west of Ruapehu. There is then a gap in identified materials until a small lava inlier on the western side of Tongariro that has been dated at 512,000 ± 59,000 years ago and is essentially buried by more recent activity.<ref name="RuapehuTongariro2021Review">{{Cite journal |last1=Leonard |first1=Graham S. |last2=Cole |first2=Rosie P. |last3=Christenson |first3=Bruce W. |last4=Conway |first4=Chris E. |last5=Cronin |first5=Shane J. |last6=Gamble |first6=John A. |last7=Hurst |first7=Tony |last8=Kennedy |first8=Ben M. |last9=Miller |first9=Craig A.|last10=Procter|first10=Jonathan N. |last11=Pure |first11=Leo R. |last12=Townsend |first12=Dougal B. |last13=White |first13=James D. L. |last14=Wilson |first14=Colin J. N. |date=2021-05-02 |title=Ruapehu and Tongariro stratovolcanoes: a review of current understanding |journal=New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics |language=en |volume=64 |pages=389–420 |doi=10.1080/00288306.2021.1909080 |issue=2–3 |s2cid=235502116 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2021NZJGG..64..389L |hdl=10468/11258 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The {{cvt|90|km3|cumi}} cone and {{cvt|60|km3|cumi}} ring-plain of the complex has multiple eruptive centres aligned with the [[Taupō Volcanic Zone|Taupō volcanic rift]] and bounded by the [[Waihi Fault Zone|Waihi]] and [[Poutu Fault Zone|Poutu fault zones]]. The formation of these began about 304,000 years ago in the [[Tama Lakes|Tama lakes]] area and definitely was established by 230,000 years ago.<ref name ="Pure2020">{{Cite journal |last1=Pure |first1=L. R. |last2=Leonard |first2=G. S. |last3=Townsend |first3=D. B. |last4=Wilson |first4=C. J. N. |last5=Calvert |first5=A. T. |last6=Calvert |first6=A. T. |last7=Cole |first7=R. P. |last8=Conway |first8=C. E. |last9=Gamble |first9=J. A. |last10=Smith |first10=T. B. |title=A high resolution 40Ar/39Ar lava chronology and edifice construction history for Tongariro Volcano, New Zealand |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377027320301086 |journal=Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research |language=en |volume=402 |pages=106993 |date=2020-10-01 |doi=10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2020.106993 |bibcode=2020JVGR..40306993P |hdl=10468/10345 |hdl-access=free |access-date=5 June 2022 |archive-date=5 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605192627/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377027320301086 |url-status=live }}</ref> The eruptive centres extend from the Te Maari craters in the north-east to the Tama Lakes in the south-west and include the more classic cone of [[Mount Ngauruhoe]] which like North Crater, another symmetrical but smaller cone, required the absence of ice after the last ice age to form. Tongariro displays evidence for extensive Quaternary glaciation in the form of moraines and lava-ice interaction textures.<ref name= "Pure2020" /> However Pukeonake is off this axis, approximately {{cvt|6|km}} west of the linear vent zone, but is considered to be a satellite vent. The largest recent eruptions with volumes greater than {{cvt|0.2|km3}} occurred between 16,600 and 26,000 years ago with the Rotoaira [[tephra]]s, at about 11,400 years ago producing the Pahoka tephra and the largest Mangamate Formation at about 11,200 years.<ref name="Heinrich2020">{{cite journal|last1 =Heinrich|first1 =M.|last2 =Cronin|first2 = S.J.|last3 =Pardo|first3 =N.|year =2020|title =Understanding multi-vent Plinian eruptions at Mt. Tongariro volcanic complex, New Zealand|journal =Bulletin of Volcanology|volume =82|issue =3|at =30 |doi =10.1007/s00445-020-1369-7|bibcode=2020BVol...82...30H}}</ref> The Pahoka-Mangamate sequence was an intense 200 year long period of large explosive eruptions from multiple vents between Tongariro and Ruapehu.<ref name="RuapehuTongariro2021Review" /> This sequence is understood to have included a total volume of about {{cvt|4.5|km3}} in several episodes:
Image:Tongariro alpine crossing view.jpg|View from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing track
# Te Rato Episode, with Half Cone and North Crater active at similar times producing at least a tephra volume of {{cvt|0.67|km3 }} ([[Dense-rock equivalent|DRE]] {{cvt|0.43|km3}}).<ref name="Heinrich2020"/> This episode was from a deep magma reservoir at between {{cvt|28|and|35|km}} depth.<ref name="Arpa2017">{{cite journal|title =Variable magma reservoir depths for Tongariro Volcanic Complex eruptive deposits from 10,000 years to present|last1 =Arpa|first1 =M.C.|last2 =Zellmer|first2 =G.F.|last3 =Christenson|first3 =B.|last4 =Lube|first4 =G.|last5 =Shellnutt|first5 =G.|year =2017|journal =Bulletin of Volcanology|volume =79|at =56|doi =10.1007/s00445-017-1137-5|doi-access =free|bibcode =2017BVol...79...56A}}</ref>
</gallery>
# Oturere Episode, with three layers with initially Half Cone and Tama Lakes vents active at similar times, to a total volume of {{cvt|0.48|km3}}; however, the final most recent layer was from the Tama Lakes area alone.<ref name="Heinrich2020"/>
# Ohinepango - Waihohonu twin episodes, again from Half Cone and Tama lakes vents with the former predominant to a tolal volume of {{cvt|1.11|km3 }}<ref name="Heinrich2020"/>
# Wharepu Episode, from only Tama Lake vents. This episode too was from a deep magma reservoir at between {{cvt|28|and|35|km}} depth,<ref name="Arpa2017"/> and produced a tephra volume of at least {{cvt|0.63|km3}}.<ref name="Heinrich2020"/>
# Poutu Episodes, an initial Blue Lake vent eruption was followed by a proto-Ngauruhoe vent eruption to the south of the present Ngauruhoe crater with a total of five layers of tephra deposited to a total tephra volume of {{cvt|1.42| km3}}.<ref name="Heinrich2020"/>

====2012 Te Māri eruptions====
[[File:Tongariro vir 2012219.jpg|thumb|300px|[[NASA]] satellite image of the August 2012 eruption, from [[Suomi NPP]]]]
After a period of volcanic unrest that had resulted in an increase in alert level on 20 July 2012,<ref name="GeoNet2022">{{cite web |title=Te Maari: Ten-year anniversary of the 2012 eruption(s) |url=https://www.geonet.org.nz/news/1wJOejzSje4TmJnphO8bBM |access-date=7 August 2022 |archive-date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811105925/https://www.geonet.org.nz/news/1wJOejzSje4TmJnphO8bBM |url-status=live }}</ref> at 11:50&nbsp;pm (NZST, [[UTC+12]]) on 6 August 2012, Mt Tongariro had what was initially believed to be a hydrothermal eruption after this increased activity. The eruption occurred at the Te Māri Craters,<ref name=NZHerald2012/> which had not had a major ash eruption since 1897<ref name=GeoNet2012/> and had been dormant since September 1899.<ref name="GeoNet2022"/>

The eruption occurred in a new vent below the Upper Te Māri crater, and sent blocks as large as {{cvt|1|m|ft|0}} in size up to {{cvt|2|km}} from the vent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/alert-bulletins/archives/2012/aug-8-2012-3-00-pm-tongariro-volcano.html |title=Volcanic Alert Bulletin TON-2012/10 |publisher=[[GeoNet (New Zealand)|GeoNet]] |date=8 August 2012 |access-date=8 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810023809/http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/alert-bulletins/archives/2012/aug-8-2012-3-00-pm-tongariro-volcano.html |archive-date=10 August 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

An ash cloud {{cvt|6.1|km}} high deposited ash into the surrounding area, especially to the east of the volcano. The ash cloud travelled {{cvt|250|km}} in four hours. [[NIWA]] reported the ash cloud contained about {{cvt|10000|m3}} of ash, and that the ash cloud was {{cvt|25|km}} long and {{cvt|15|km}} wide 39 minutes after the eruption. Ash and the smell of [[sulphur]] was reported in [[Napier, New Zealand|Napier]] and [[Hastings, New Zealand|Hastings]].<ref name="NZH-1km">{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10825125 |title=Tongariro eruption: 1km ash radius |publisher=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=7 August 2012 |access-date=7 August 2012 |archive-date=8 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908200728/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10825125 |url-status=live }}</ref> The smell of sulphur was also reported in [[Wellington]], [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]] and [[Blenheim, New Zealand|Blenheim]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/7438976/Tongariro-eruption-Sulphur-smell-in-Blenheim |title=Tongariro eruption: Sulphur smell in Blenheim |publisher=Stuff.co.nz |date=8 August 2012 |access-date=9 August 2012 |archive-date=3 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503173123/http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/7438976/Tongariro-eruption-Sulphur-smell-in-Blenheim |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[New Zealand State Highway 1|State Highway 1]] to the east and State Highway 46 to the north of the mountain each received up to {{cvt|5|cm||0}} of ash cover, and were closed until the following morning due to ash and low visibility.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Tongariro-erupts---alert-level-raised-video-photos/tabid/423/articleID/264379/Default.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130224211059/http://www.3news.co.nz/Tongariro-erupts---alert-level-raised-video-photos/tabid/423/articleID/264379/Default.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 February 2013 |title=Scientists: Tongariro eruption 'unexpected' |date=7 August 2012 |publisher=[[3 News]]}}</ref> A layer of ash {{cvt|10|-|15|mm||1}} thick settled on farmland {{cvt|5|to|10|km}} east of Mount Tongariro. Particle sizes were between {{cvt|2|and|3|mm||2}}. The airspace within a {{cvt|12|km|adj=on}} radius of the mountain was closed after the eruption, but later reopened to [[visual flight rules|visual]] flights only. [[Air New Zealand]] cancelled some flights in and out of [[Rotorua]], [[Taupō]], [[Gisborne, New Zealand|Gisborne]], Napier, [[Wanganui]] and [[Palmerston North]] due to the risk of volcanic ash clogging the engines on their aircraft serving those airports.<ref name="TVNZ">{{cite web |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/eruption-activity-subsided-now-civil-defence-5009957 |title=Eruption activity subsided for now - civil defence |publisher=[[Television New Zealand]] |access-date=7 August 2012 |date=7 August 2012 |archive-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604184549/http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/communities-around-mountain-tenterhooks-5009957/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

No injuries were reported, and the only significant property damage was to the [[Department of Conservation (New Zealand)|Department of Conservation's]] Ketetahi Hut, which is located {{cvt|1.5|km||1}} west of the Te Māri Craters.<ref name="TVNZ" /> There was no official evacuation but 24 people living along State Highway 46 fled their homes for fear of being isolated.

Mount Tongariro erupted again at 1:20&nbsp;pm on 21 November, ejecting an ash cloud 4000 metres into the air.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-Mt-Tongariro-erupts-huge-ash-cloud/tabid/423/articleID/277545/Default.aspx |work=3 News NZ |title=VIDEO: Mt Tongariro erupts, huge ash cloud |date=21 November 2012 |access-date= 21 November 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131215022212/http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-Mt-Tongariro-erupts-huge-ash-cloud/tabid/423/articleID/277545/Default.aspx |archive-date= 15 December 2013 |url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/15433971/more-tongariro-eruptions-forecast/ |title=More Tongariro eruptions forecast |author1=Williams, Dave |author2=Robson, Sarah |publisher=Nz.news.yahoo.com |agency=Newswire |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=21 November 2012 |archive-date=28 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128120932/http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/15433971/more-tongariro-eruptions-forecast |url-status=dead }}</ref> Flights in the area were cancelled, as were several the following morning.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Flights-cancelled-after-Tongariro-eruption/tabid/423/articleID/277617/Default.aspx |work=3 News NZ |title=Flights cancelled after Tongariro eruption |date=22 November 2012 |access-date= 21 November 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131215022014/http://www.3news.co.nz/Flights-cancelled-after-Tongariro-eruption/tabid/423/articleID/277617/Default.aspx |archive-date= 15 December 2013 |url-status= dead}}</ref> Geologists had no warning before the eruption, saying it was not linked to warnings the week before of elevated activity at nearby Mount Ruapehu.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Scientists-had-no-warning-before-Mt-Tongariro-eruption/tabid/1160/articleID/277593/Default.aspx |work=3 News NZ |title=Scientists had no warning before Mt Tongariro eruption |date=21 November 2012 |access-date=8 April 2015 |archive-date=18 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018013554/http://www.newshub.co.nz/environmentsci/scientists-had-no-warning-before-mt-tongariro-eruption-2012112118 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Ruapehu-eruption-more-likely/tabid/1160/articleID/276931/Default.aspx |work=3 News NZ |title=Ruapehu eruption more likely |date=26 November 2012 |access-date=21 November 2012 |archive-date=15 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215021712/http://www.3news.co.nz/Ruapehu-eruption-more-likely/tabid/1160/articleID/276931/Default.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of volcanoes in New Zealand]]
*[[List of mountains of New Zealand by height]]
* [[List of mountains of New Zealand by height]]
*[[Volcanism of New Zealand]]
* [[Volcanism in New Zealand]]
*[[List of volcanoes in New Zealand]]
*[[Tongariro Northern Circuit]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=GeoNet2012>{{cite web |url=http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/alert-bulletins/archives/2012/jul-31-2012-10-00-am-tongariro-volcano.html |title=Volcanic Alert Bulletin TON-2012/03 |date=21 July 2012 |publisher=[[GeoNet (New Zealand)|GeoNet]] |access-date=6 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806033049/http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/alert-bulletins/archives/2012/jul-31-2012-10-00-am-tongariro-volcano.html |archive-date=6 August 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{cite gvp|vnum=0401-08=|name=Tongariro}}
<ref name=NZHerald2012>{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10825125 |title=Tongariro erupts, alert level raised |date=7 August 2012 |publisher=[[GeoNet (New Zealand)|GeoNet]] |access-date=2015-04-07 |archive-date=8 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908200728/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10825125 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Hill, H. (1893) [http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_26/rsnz_26_00_003780.html The Volcanic Outburst at Te Mari, Tongariro, in November, 1892.], Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 26, 388-391.
}}

==Further reading==
*Hill, H. (1893) [http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_26/rsnz_26_00_003780.html The Volcanic Outburst at Te Māri, Tongariro, in November, 1892.], [[Transactions of the New Zealand Institute]], 26, 388–391.


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons and category|Mount Tongariro}}
* [http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/PlaceProfile.aspx?id=38487 Tongariro National Park (official site)]
* [http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/tongariro/ Mt Tongariro photos]
*[http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/tongariro/ Tongariro National Park] at the Department of Conservation
* [http://www.trekker.co.il/english/new-zealand-tongariro-crossing.htm Tongariro Crossing Trek]
*[http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/central-north-island/ruapehu/tongariro-alpine-crossing/ Tongariro Alpine Crossing] at the Department of Conservation
*[http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/photos/volcanic/tongariro/ Tongariro Alpine Crossing photos] at Virtual Oceania
* [http://www.the-park.co.nz/lord-of-the-rings-tour/ Lord of The Rings Tours]

* [http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/page.aspx?id=38496 Tongariro National Park Visitors Centre]
{{Tongariro National Park}}
* [http://www.the-park.co.nz/hiking-mountaineering-and-climbing/ Land based activities]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Tongariro, Mount}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tongariro, Mount}}
[[Category:Stratovolcanoes]]
[[Category:Mountains of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Taupo Volcanic Zone]]
[[Category:Active volcanoes]]
[[Category:Active volcanoes]]
[[Category:VEI-5 volcanoes]]
[[Category:Complex volcanoes]]
[[Category:Complex volcanoes]]
[[Category:Crater lakes]]
[[Category:Volcanic crater lakes]]
[[Category:Mountains of Waikato]]

[[Category:Stratovolcanoes of New Zealand]]
[[cs:Tongariro]]
[[de:Tongariro]]
[[Category:Tongariro Volcanic Centre]]
[[Category:VEI-5 volcanoes]]
[[eo:Tongariro]]
[[fr:Mont Tongariro]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of Waikato|Mount Tongariro]]
[[Category:Ruapehu District]]
[[he:טונגרירו]]
[[Category:Taupō Volcanic Zone]]
[[lt:Tongariras]]
[[Category:Pleistocene stratovolcanoes]]
[[nl:Mount Tongariro]]
[[Category:Holocene stratovolcanoes]]
[[ja:トンガリロ山]]
[[nn:Mount Tongariro]]
[[Category:Tongariro National Park]]
[[pl:Tongariro (wulkan)]]
[[ro:Tongariro]]
[[sk:Tongariro]]
[[sv:Tongariro]]

Latest revision as of 07:49, 27 October 2024

"Tongariro" redirects here. For other uses, see Tongariro (disambiguation).

Mount Tongariro
Highest point
Elevation1,978 m (6,490 ft)[1]
Coordinates39°07′47″S 175°38′09″E / 39.12972°S 175.63583°E / -39.12972; 175.63583[1]
Geography
Mount Tongariro is located in New Zealand
Mount Tongariro
Mount Tongariro
New Zealand
Geology
Rock age275,000 years[2]
Mountain typeComplex volcano
Volcanic arc/beltTaupō Volcanic Zone
Last eruption21 November 2012 13:50 [3]
Climbing
Easiest routeTongariro Alpine Crossing
Map
Map centered on Mount Tongariro to show approximate selected surface volcanic features and andesitic deposits shaded   red. Vents and cones or craters active in the last 15,000 years are shaded   orange-yellow with craters in   yellow outline. Lakes in vents are outlined in   blue. To the south volcanic deposits are continuous with those from Mount Ruapehu. Mixed and sedimentary deposits are not shown. The andesitic deposits of the Kakaramea-Tihia Massif, and Pihanga are to the north beyond Lake Rotoaira. Clicking on the map enlarges it, and enables panning and mouseover of volcanic deposits name/wikilink and ages before present for wider volcanic context. The key to the shading of other volcanics that are shown (active in last million years odd) with panning is   basalt (shades of brown/orange),   monogenetic basalts,   undifferentiated basalts,   arc basalts,   arc ring basalts,   dacite,   basaltic andesite,   rhyolite, (ignimbrite is lighter shades of violet), and   plutonic or intusive (gray). White shading has been used for postulated calderas (usually subsurface now).

Mount Tongariro (/ˈtɒŋɡərɪroʊ/; Māori: [tɔŋaɾiɾɔ]) is a compound volcano in the Taupō Volcanic Zone of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 20 km (12 mi) to the southwest of Lake Taupō, and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of the central North Island.

Geology

[edit]

Mount Tongariro is part of the Tongariro volcanic centre, which consists of four massifs made of andesite: Tongariro, Kakaramea-Tihia Massif, Pihanga, and Ruapehu[4] at the southern end of the North Island Volcanic Plateau. The andesitic eruptions formed Tongariro, a steep stratovolcano, reaching a height of 1,978 m (6,490 ft). Tongariro is composed of layers of both lava and tephra and the eruptions that built the current stratovolcano commenced about 275,000 years ago.[2]

Tongariro consists of at least 12 cones. Ngauruhoe, while often regarded as a separate mountain, is geologically a cone of Tongariro. It is also the most active vent, having erupted more than 70 times since 1839, the last episode in 1973 to 1975.[5]

Emerald Lakes from the summit of Red Crater

Activity has also been recorded at other vents in recent history. Te Māri Craters erupted in 2012, for the first time since 1897. Red Crater last erupted ash in 1926 and contains active fumaroles. There are many explosion craters on the massif; water has filled some of these to form Blue Lake and the Emerald Lakes.

The high altitude and severe alpine climate between March and October allow snowfall in the winter (there are commercial ski-fields at neighbouring Mount Ruapehu) and rain can freeze, causing verglas; in contrast in the mid to late summer, the mountains can be bare apart from remnant patches of snow in south-facing gullies. Unlike nearby Mt. Ruapehu, no glaciers exist on Tongariro today. However, geomorphological evidence in the form of moraines and cirques indicates the former presence of mountain glaciers. Dating of moraines on western Tongariro show that valley glaciers were present at several times during the last glacial cycle, before melting away at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum approximately 18,000 years ago.[6]

History

[edit]

Mount Tongariro is in the Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's first national park and one of the earliest in the world. It was set aside (literally "made sacred") in 1887 by Te Heuheu Tukino IV (Horonuku), paramount chief of the Māori Ngati Tuwharetoa iwi and made a national park in order to preserve its natural beauty. The park also includes the peaks of Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, both of which lie to the southwest of Tongariro. The national park is a dual World Heritage Site for its outstanding natural and intangible cultural values.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing hiking route passes between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe.

Mount Tongariro and its surroundings are also one of the several locations which Peter Jackson chose to shoot The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Eruptive history

[edit]

The oldest recorded volcanism in the area was at 933,000 ± 46,000 years ago at Hauhungatahi, north-west of Ruapehu. There is then a gap in identified materials until a small lava inlier on the western side of Tongariro that has been dated at 512,000 ± 59,000 years ago and is essentially buried by more recent activity.[7] The 90 km3 (22 cu mi) cone and 60 km3 (14 cu mi) ring-plain of the complex has multiple eruptive centres aligned with the Taupō volcanic rift and bounded by the Waihi and Poutu fault zones. The formation of these began about 304,000 years ago in the Tama lakes area and definitely was established by 230,000 years ago.[8] The eruptive centres extend from the Te Maari craters in the north-east to the Tama Lakes in the south-west and include the more classic cone of Mount Ngauruhoe which like North Crater, another symmetrical but smaller cone, required the absence of ice after the last ice age to form. Tongariro displays evidence for extensive Quaternary glaciation in the form of moraines and lava-ice interaction textures.[8] However Pukeonake is off this axis, approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) west of the linear vent zone, but is considered to be a satellite vent. The largest recent eruptions with volumes greater than 0.2 km3 (0.048 cu mi) occurred between 16,600 and 26,000 years ago with the Rotoaira tephras, at about 11,400 years ago producing the Pahoka tephra and the largest Mangamate Formation at about 11,200 years.[9] The Pahoka-Mangamate sequence was an intense 200 year long period of large explosive eruptions from multiple vents between Tongariro and Ruapehu.[7] This sequence is understood to have included a total volume of about 4.5 km3 (1.1 cu mi) in several episodes:

  1. Te Rato Episode, with Half Cone and North Crater active at similar times producing at least a tephra volume of 0.67 km3 (0.16 cu mi) (DRE 0.43 km3 (0.10 cu mi)).[9] This episode was from a deep magma reservoir at between 28 and 35 km (17 and 22 mi) depth.[10]
  2. Oturere Episode, with three layers with initially Half Cone and Tama Lakes vents active at similar times, to a total volume of 0.48 km3 (0.12 cu mi); however, the final most recent layer was from the Tama Lakes area alone.[9]
  3. Ohinepango - Waihohonu twin episodes, again from Half Cone and Tama lakes vents with the former predominant to a tolal volume of 1.11 km3 (0.27 cu mi)[9]
  4. Wharepu Episode, from only Tama Lake vents. This episode too was from a deep magma reservoir at between 28 and 35 km (17 and 22 mi) depth,[10] and produced a tephra volume of at least 0.63 km3 (0.15 cu mi).[9]
  5. Poutu Episodes, an initial Blue Lake vent eruption was followed by a proto-Ngauruhoe vent eruption to the south of the present Ngauruhoe crater with a total of five layers of tephra deposited to a total tephra volume of 1.42 km3 (0.34 cu mi).[9]

2012 Te Māri eruptions

[edit]
NASA satellite image of the August 2012 eruption, from Suomi NPP

After a period of volcanic unrest that had resulted in an increase in alert level on 20 July 2012,[11] at 11:50 pm (NZST, UTC+12) on 6 August 2012, Mt Tongariro had what was initially believed to be a hydrothermal eruption after this increased activity. The eruption occurred at the Te Māri Craters,[12] which had not had a major ash eruption since 1897[13] and had been dormant since September 1899.[11]

The eruption occurred in a new vent below the Upper Te Māri crater, and sent blocks as large as 1 m (3 ft) in size up to 2 km (1.2 mi) from the vent.[14]

An ash cloud 6.1 km (3.8 mi) high deposited ash into the surrounding area, especially to the east of the volcano. The ash cloud travelled 250 km (160 mi) in four hours. NIWA reported the ash cloud contained about 10,000 m3 (350,000 cu ft) of ash, and that the ash cloud was 25 km (16 mi) long and 15 km (9.3 mi) wide 39 minutes after the eruption. Ash and the smell of sulphur was reported in Napier and Hastings.[15] The smell of sulphur was also reported in Wellington, Nelson and Blenheim.[16]

State Highway 1 to the east and State Highway 46 to the north of the mountain each received up to 5 cm (2 in) of ash cover, and were closed until the following morning due to ash and low visibility.[17] A layer of ash 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) thick settled on farmland 5 to 10 km (3.1 to 6.2 mi) east of Mount Tongariro. Particle sizes were between 2 and 3 mm (0.08 and 0.12 in). The airspace within a 12 km (7.5 mi) radius of the mountain was closed after the eruption, but later reopened to visual flights only. Air New Zealand cancelled some flights in and out of Rotorua, Taupō, Gisborne, Napier, Wanganui and Palmerston North due to the risk of volcanic ash clogging the engines on their aircraft serving those airports.[18]

No injuries were reported, and the only significant property damage was to the Department of Conservation's Ketetahi Hut, which is located 1.5 km (0.9 mi) west of the Te Māri Craters.[18] There was no official evacuation but 24 people living along State Highway 46 fled their homes for fear of being isolated.

Mount Tongariro erupted again at 1:20 pm on 21 November, ejecting an ash cloud 4000 metres into the air.[19][20] Flights in the area were cancelled, as were several the following morning.[21] Geologists had no warning before the eruption, saying it was not linked to warnings the week before of elevated activity at nearby Mount Ruapehu.[22][23]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Tongariro". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b "About Tongariro". GeoNet Hazards Monitoring Network. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  3. ^ "Mt Tongariro Erupts Again". Stuff.co.nz. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  4. ^ Cole, J.W. (March 1978). "Andesites of the Tongariro volcanic centre, North Island, New Zealand". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 3 (1–2): 121–153. Bibcode:1978JVGR....3..121C. doi:10.1016/0377-0273(78)90007-0.
  5. ^ McSaveney, Eileen; Stewart, Carol; Leonard, Graham (5 November 2007). "Historic volcanic activity: Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  6. ^ Eaves, Shaun R.; N. Mackintosh, Andrew; Winckler, Gisela; Schaefer, Joerg M.; Alloway, Brent V.; Townsend, Dougal B. (15 January 2016). "A cosmogenic 3He chronology of late Quaternary glacier fluctuations in North Island, New Zealand (39°S)". Quaternary Science Reviews. 132: 40–56. Bibcode:2016QSRv..132...40E. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.11.004.
  7. ^ a b Leonard, Graham S.; Cole, Rosie P.; Christenson, Bruce W.; Conway, Chris E.; Cronin, Shane J.; Gamble, John A.; Hurst, Tony; Kennedy, Ben M.; Miller, Craig A.; Procter, Jonathan N.; Pure, Leo R.; Townsend, Dougal B.; White, James D. L.; Wilson, Colin J. N. (2 May 2021). "Ruapehu and Tongariro stratovolcanoes: a review of current understanding". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 64 (2–3): 389–420. Bibcode:2021NZJGG..64..389L. doi:10.1080/00288306.2021.1909080. hdl:10468/11258. S2CID 235502116.
  8. ^ a b Pure, L. R.; Leonard, G. S.; Townsend, D. B.; Wilson, C. J. N.; Calvert, A. T.; Calvert, A. T.; Cole, R. P.; Conway, C. E.; Gamble, J. A.; Smith, T. B. (1 October 2020). "A high resolution 40Ar/39Ar lava chronology and edifice construction history for Tongariro Volcano, New Zealand". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 402: 106993. Bibcode:2020JVGR..40306993P. doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2020.106993. hdl:10468/10345. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Heinrich, M.; Cronin, S.J.; Pardo, N. (2020). "Understanding multi-vent Plinian eruptions at Mt. Tongariro volcanic complex, New Zealand". Bulletin of Volcanology. 82 (3). 30. Bibcode:2020BVol...82...30H. doi:10.1007/s00445-020-1369-7.
  10. ^ a b Arpa, M.C.; Zellmer, G.F.; Christenson, B.; Lube, G.; Shellnutt, G. (2017). "Variable magma reservoir depths for Tongariro Volcanic Complex eruptive deposits from 10,000 years to present". Bulletin of Volcanology. 79. 56. Bibcode:2017BVol...79...56A. doi:10.1007/s00445-017-1137-5.
  11. ^ a b "Te Maari: Ten-year anniversary of the 2012 eruption(s)". Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Tongariro erupts, alert level raised". GeoNet. 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Volcanic Alert Bulletin TON-2012/03". GeoNet. 21 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  14. ^ "Volcanic Alert Bulletin TON-2012/10". GeoNet. 8 August 2012. Archived from the original on 10 August 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  15. ^ "Tongariro eruption: 1km ash radius". The New Zealand Herald. 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  16. ^ "Tongariro eruption: Sulphur smell in Blenheim". Stuff.co.nz. 8 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Scientists: Tongariro eruption 'unexpected'". 3 News. 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 24 February 2013.
  18. ^ a b "Eruption activity subsided for now - civil defence". Television New Zealand. 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  19. ^ "VIDEO: Mt Tongariro erupts, huge ash cloud". 3 News NZ. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  20. ^ Williams, Dave; Robson, Sarah (21 November 2012). "More Tongariro eruptions forecast". Nz.news.yahoo.com. Newswire. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  21. ^ "Flights cancelled after Tongariro eruption". 3 News NZ. 22 November 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  22. ^ "Scientists had no warning before Mt Tongariro eruption". 3 News NZ. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  23. ^ "Ruapehu eruption more likely". 3 News NZ. 26 November 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2012.

Further reading

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[edit]
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