Story: Volcanoes

Taranaki ring plain

On the Taranaki peninsula, a line of three cone volcanoes (Taranaki, Pouākai, and Kaitake) is surrounded by a huge ring plain of avalanche, lahar, and tephra deposits. The ring plain appears smooth in the digital terrain map and contrasts with the dissected hill country to the east.

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How to cite this page

Richard Smith, David J. Lowe and Ian Wright, Volcanoes – Cone volcanoes and volcanic fields, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/8703/taranaki-ring-plain (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Richard Smith, David J. Lowe and Ian Wright, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Ross MacNicol
18 August 2011

A characteristic of the Taranaki Volcanic Ring Plain is the radial drainage pattern, with hundreds of streams radiating outwards from Maunga [Mount[] Taranaki much like the spokes of a bycycle wheel. A drive on the high level road between Stratford and Okato will cross many of these streams often on one lane bridges. This pattern of drainage produces nearly parallel streams with relatively small catchments which demonstrate fast rising and falling flood peaks after heavy rainfall.