Mt Ngauruhoe No More
Earlier today Mt Ngauruhoe (between Mt Tongarairo and Mt Ruapehu in the middle of the North Island for those who don't know New Zealand) violently exploded, scattering boulders as far as Taupo to the north, and Ohakune to the South.
Experts are not sure what caused this explosion, but expect that it was probably caused by a bubble of natural gas that had been building up underneath the crater for several years. This bubble was likely detonated by an unlucky tramper throwing away a lit cigarette into the crater. Below are two photos taken by a Geonet camera designed to watch the volcano for signs of activity:
Mt Ngaurahoe before the explosion.
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Mt Ngauruhoe during the explosion.
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Unfortunately there is no photo for after the explosion, as the camera was destroyed in the blast. A spokesman for the Ngaurahoe Preservation Society, Paul Thomas, said the event was "a disaster" for the Society, and has called for a general meeting to determine the future of the Society, now that there is no Ngaurahoe to Preserve.
Residents in nearby towns were concerned about the environmental damage from the fall-out of the blast. Large holes were punched in cars, roofs, and roads, as peices of the mountain plummeted out of the sky.
A large hole punched in the desert near the Desert Road.
A hole through the ceiling of a house in Taupo.
The ceiling is slanting down a stairwell (the photographer is at the top of the stairs looking down) and at the foot of the stairs can be seen the rock itself (the black object in the corner) along with the debris it created on the way in (ceiling plaster and peices of a vacuum cleaner that was in the way). If you look carefully you can see a dent in the back wall behind the rock showing where it probably hit the wall (which is made of concrete) and bounced off. The homeowner, Sarah Milnes, says it sounded "like a giant sledgehammer had hit the house, followed by a very loud clang, and the sound of her vacuum cleaner being shattered. She was vacuuming at the time.
On a wider scales, the explosion caused significant damage to the Tuhroa ski-field on Mt Ruapehu, which is expected to remain closed this winter in order to clear up the damage. The Tuhroa owner, Adam Smith said "This is a total shock to us. We had just installed a brand new ski-lift this summer, and now we have to close indefinetely. We are all gutted." The exact extent of the damage is not known, but it appears the entire Northern Slope of the field may have to be permanently closed as it is pockmarked with craters and could be too dangerous to ski down. "We'll just have to wait until we get some snowfall and see how it lies before we can assess how dangerous it is" said Mr Smith.
The (now ex-)president of the New Zealand Institute of Seismics and Geology, Dr Melanie Thornton, said that it the explosion didn't seem to have triggered any seismic activity however it was possible that Mt Ruapehu, which also contains a bubble of natural gas, may also explode, thus permanently closing Tuhroa ski-field, amongst others. "It is largely dependent on a trigger" she said. "Mt Ngaurahoe was probably triggered by some (late) idiot dropping a lit cigarette or match into the crater. The cigarette must have happened to have fallen into a chasm that connected to the bubble. The chances of this happening on Ruapehu are remote, as its crater is full of lake." She wasn't too concerned about the effects of the explosion, saying "it is an everyday occurrance. Mt Ngaurahoe has exploded every day and the next morning it is back again." She has since been removed from the presidential position and asked to resign from the Institute.
Dr Thornton telling the institute that Mt Ngaurahoe exploded every day.
I should be doing an assignment.
Experts are not sure what caused this explosion, but expect that it was probably caused by a bubble of natural gas that had been building up underneath the crater for several years. This bubble was likely detonated by an unlucky tramper throwing away a lit cigarette into the crater. Below are two photos taken by a Geonet camera designed to watch the volcano for signs of activity:
Mt Ngaurahoe before the explosion.
.
Mt Ngauruhoe during the explosion.
.
Unfortunately there is no photo for after the explosion, as the camera was destroyed in the blast. A spokesman for the Ngaurahoe Preservation Society, Paul Thomas, said the event was "a disaster" for the Society, and has called for a general meeting to determine the future of the Society, now that there is no Ngaurahoe to Preserve.
Residents in nearby towns were concerned about the environmental damage from the fall-out of the blast. Large holes were punched in cars, roofs, and roads, as peices of the mountain plummeted out of the sky.
A large hole punched in the desert near the Desert Road.
A hole through the ceiling of a house in Taupo.
The ceiling is slanting down a stairwell (the photographer is at the top of the stairs looking down) and at the foot of the stairs can be seen the rock itself (the black object in the corner) along with the debris it created on the way in (ceiling plaster and peices of a vacuum cleaner that was in the way). If you look carefully you can see a dent in the back wall behind the rock showing where it probably hit the wall (which is made of concrete) and bounced off. The homeowner, Sarah Milnes, says it sounded "like a giant sledgehammer had hit the house, followed by a very loud clang, and the sound of her vacuum cleaner being shattered. She was vacuuming at the time.
On a wider scales, the explosion caused significant damage to the Tuhroa ski-field on Mt Ruapehu, which is expected to remain closed this winter in order to clear up the damage. The Tuhroa owner, Adam Smith said "This is a total shock to us. We had just installed a brand new ski-lift this summer, and now we have to close indefinetely. We are all gutted." The exact extent of the damage is not known, but it appears the entire Northern Slope of the field may have to be permanently closed as it is pockmarked with craters and could be too dangerous to ski down. "We'll just have to wait until we get some snowfall and see how it lies before we can assess how dangerous it is" said Mr Smith.
The (now ex-)president of the New Zealand Institute of Seismics and Geology, Dr Melanie Thornton, said that it the explosion didn't seem to have triggered any seismic activity however it was possible that Mt Ruapehu, which also contains a bubble of natural gas, may also explode, thus permanently closing Tuhroa ski-field, amongst others. "It is largely dependent on a trigger" she said. "Mt Ngaurahoe was probably triggered by some (late) idiot dropping a lit cigarette or match into the crater. The cigarette must have happened to have fallen into a chasm that connected to the bubble. The chances of this happening on Ruapehu are remote, as its crater is full of lake." She wasn't too concerned about the effects of the explosion, saying "it is an everyday occurrance. Mt Ngaurahoe has exploded every day and the next morning it is back again." She has since been removed from the presidential position and asked to resign from the Institute.
Dr Thornton telling the institute that Mt Ngaurahoe exploded every day.
I should be doing an assignment.
posted by David | 11:13 pm
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