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Story: Historic volcanic activity

Sizes of New Zealand volcanic eruptions

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Sizes of New Zealand volcanic eruptions

These diagrammatic ash clouds give an indication of the size of eruptions in New Zealand in relation to the major, well-known eruptions of St Helens (USA), Pinatubo (Philippines) and Tambora (Indonesia).

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Bruce Houghton and others. Eruption! Mt Ruapehu awakes. Auckland: Viking, 1996.

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney, Carol Stewart and Graham Leonard, Historic volcanic activity – Eruptions in early history, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/6885/sizes-of-new-zealand-volcanic-eruptions (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney, Carol Stewart and Graham Leonard, published 2 March 2009.