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Kōrero: Geothermal energy

Subsidence around Wairākei geothermal field

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Subsidence around Wairākei geothermal field

Extracting steam at Wairākei has caused the ground to subside. This map shows the total subsidence, measured over almost 50 years, from 1953 to 2001. The contour interval is 1 metre. The greatest subsidence, up to 14 metres, is in the immediate area of the borefield. A larger area has subsided by over a metre, indicating that extraction of geothermal fluid may affect a large area in the long term.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Contact Energy

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Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Carol Stewart, Geothermal energy – Effects on the environment, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/map/5438/subsidence-around-wairakei-geothermal-field (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Carol Stewart, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.