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| The colours and textures are
striking with no sign of any life. The main outflow stream from the fumaroles
and springs is chlorine rich and with a very low pH. Hence the rocks and
soils rapidly corrode away creating an artists palette of colours |
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| Fresh magmatic bombs, lapilli and
ash mantle the crater floor. The most recent of these date back to a
Strombolian eruption in July 2000. Other deposits include bedded ash and
scoria and mounds from a landslide (Lahar?) that occurred in 1914 |
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| At a smaller scale the colours and
textures show the diversity that exists inside an active volcanic crater |
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| The current activity consists of fumaroles
discharging steam and volcanic gases which include
CO2, SO2 and H2S. The gases sting the eyes and
and affect breathing requiring gas masks to be worn when the steam
drifts towards you. The gases originate from a relatively shallow magma
chamber under the crater floor. |
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| A crater lake occupies the site of
the craters which were responsible for the latest eruption. The lake was
rising steadily until increasing temperature in the last year saw much
of the lake evaporate away. If the lake rise again it presents a
particular hazard as it could overtop and rapidly erode the loose
deposits in Donald Duck Crater (bottom right) unleashing a lahar down
the crater floor |
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| The long history of the volcano
can be read in the crater walls where horizontally bedded former crater
deposits are interspersed with scoria and ash horizons. Lava flows are
relatively rare in the recent history of the volcano |
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| Crater Bay is the site of a former
Sulphur mining operation that continued in to the early years of the
20th century. In September 1914 a landslide in the crater wall produced
a mudflow that overwhelmed workers in the crater floor. The eleven
miners were never found. The current ruins relate to later attempts to
mine the sulphur. |
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The old Sulphur factory is the site of one
the Geonet
Web Cams used to monitor the volcano activity. One of the worlds
most famous dinosaurs, Dino is always in view in the foreground |
| The Island is not totally devoid
of life. Pohutukawa forest clings to parts of the outer cone and Gannets
and Red Billed gulls nest on the Island |
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In short it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience
enjoyed by all (especially myself, right) and ably lead by by Brad Scott
(below) and Mike Rosenberg |
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