Story: Landscapes – overview

Mt Ruapehu

Mt Ruapehu

Mt Ruapehu has erupted many times over the last million years. A large crater lake near the summit is an ever-present hazard because renewed volcanic activity may cause lahars (volcanic mud flows) – the most recent occurred in March 2007. The wide plain around the volcano was built up from past lahars that have smothered everything in their path. Lahar deposits are layered with volcanic ash from the eruptions of Mts Ruapehu and Ngāuruhoe.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Shirley Williams

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How to cite this page:

Eileen McSaveney, 'Landscapes – overview - The volcanic region', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/12990/mt-ruapehu (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Jul 2015