New Zealand scientists raised an alert level for a volcano beneath the country's largest lake, which caused the largest eruption on Earth in 5,000 years. The last eruption of the Taupo volcano was about 2,200 years ago. Had it happened on the same scale now, it would have been a potentially catastrophic event.
In a statement, GeoNet said it had registered nearly 700 small earthquakes beneath Lake Taupo, which is in a caldera formed by a giant volcano, and raised the volcanic alert level from 0 to 1 - a minor volcanic disturbance. The volcanic alert system is based on six rising levels, but GeoNet notes that eruptions can occur at any level and levels may not move sequentially as activity can fluctuate rapidly.
Taupo volcano ejected more than 100 cubic kilometers of material into the atmosphere during its last eruption around 200 BCE, destroying most of New Zealand's central North Island. GeoNet reports that this eruption was the largest in the world in the last 5,000 years.
Earthquakes "may continue". The agency added that although it had raised the alert level for Taupo volcano to 1 for the first time, it was not the first activity and said the likelihood of an eruption remained very low. Earthquakes and deformations could continue in the coming weeks or months, the report said.
New Zealand lies on the border between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates and experiences significant volcanoes and earthquakes. In 2019, the Isle of Wight, known as Wakaari, experienced a sudden volcanic eruption that spewed steam and ash, killing 22 people and seriously injuring 25 others, mostly tourists.
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