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New Zealand · Stratovolcano

Mount Tongariro

Tongariro

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
1978m
Last eruption
2012
Mount Tongariro
Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
New Zealand
Region
Tonga & Kermadec / Taupo Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1978m
Coordinates
-39.157, 175.632
Last eruption
2012
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic andesite
Geological summary

Tongariro is a large volcanic massif, located immediately NE of Ruapehu volcano, that is composed of more than a dozen composite cones constructed over a period of 275,000 years. Vents along a NE-trending zone extending from Saddle Cone (below Ruapehu) to Te Maari crater (including vents at the present-day location of Ngauruhoe) were active during several hundred years around 10,000 years ago, producing the largest known eruptions at the Tongariro complex during the Holocene. North Crater stratovolcano is truncated by a broad, shallow crater filled by a solidified lava lake that is cut on the NW side by a small explosion crater. The youngest cone, Ngauruhoe, is also the highest peak.

Eruption history

79 recordedGlossary
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
9850 BCE~9455 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 59455 BCE~9059 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 5756 BCE~360 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 51221~1617 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1617~2012 · 73 eruptions · max VEI 39850 BCE7082 BCE3919 BCE1151 BCE1617

Detailed timeline

  1. 2012VEI 2Observed
    2012-08-06 – 2012-08-07
    Upper Te Maari Craters
  2. 2012VEI 2Observed
    2012-11-21 – 2012-11-21
    Upper Te Maari Craters
  3. 1977VEI 1Observed
    1977-07-04 – 1977-07-04
    Ngauruhoe
  4. 1976VEI 1Observed
    1976-08-23 – 1976-08-28
    Ngauruhoe
  5. 1975VEI 3Observed
    1975-02-12 – 1975-02-23
    Ngauruhoe
  6. 1972VEI 2Observed
    1972-03-19 – 1972-06-06
    Ngauruhoe
  7. 1972VEI 3Observed
    1972-11-22 – 1974-08-19
    Ngauruhoe
  8. 1969VEI 2Observed
    1969-01-21 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  9. 1968VEI 2Observed
    1968-08-18 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  10. 1962VEI 2Observed
    1962-05-24 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  11. 1959VEI 2Observed
    1959-06-01 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  12. 1958VEI 2Observed
    1958-11-05 – 1958-11-18
    Ngauruhoe
  13. 1956VEI 2Observed
    1956-01-11 – 1956-02-11
    Ngauruhoe (south sub-crater)
  14. 1954VEI 3Observed
    1954-05-13 – 1955-06-25
    Ngauruhoe (south sub-crater)
  15. 1953VEI 0Observed
    1953-12-28 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe (south sub-crater)
  16. 1952VEI 2Observed
    1952-11-29 – 1953-07-16
    Ngauruhoe (south sub-crater)
  17. 1951VEI 2Observed
    1951-05-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  18. 1950VEI 2Observed
    1950-06-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  19. 1949VEI 2Observed
    1949-02-09 – 1949-03-03
    Ngauruhoe (south sub-crater)
  20. 1948VEI 2Observed
    1948-04-30 – 1948-05-16
    Ngauruhoe
  21. 1948VEI 2Observed
    1948-09-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  22. 1940VEI 2Observed
    1940-09-16 – 1940-10-16
    Ngauruhoe
  23. 1939VEI 2Observed
    1939-08-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  24. 1937VEI 2Observed
    1937-01-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  25. 1934VEI 2Observed
    1934-06-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  26. 1934VEI 2Observed
    1934-12-16 – 1935-02-16
    Ngauruhoe
  27. 1931VEI 2Observed
    1931-02-16 – 1931-05-16
    Ngauruhoe
  28. 1928VEI 2Observed
    1928-03-03 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  29. 1928VEI 2Observed
    1928-07-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  30. 1927VEI 1Method not stated
    1927-07-02 – end unknown
    North flank (Ketetahi)
  31. 1926VEI 2Observed
    1926-04-16 – 1926-06-16
    Ngauruhoe and Red Crater
  32. 1926VEI 2Observed
    1926-12-21 – 1926-12-30
    Ngauruhoe
  33. 1925VEI 2Observed
    1925-11-16 – 1925-12-16
    Ngauruhoe
  34. 1924VEI 2Observed
    1924-01-09 – 1924-01-30
    Ngauruhoe
  35. 1924VEI 2Observed
    1924-05-22 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  36. 1924VEI 2Observed
    1924-10-16 – 1924-11-16
    Ngauruhoe
  37. 1917VEI 2Observed
    1917-10-16 – 1917-11-16
    Ngauruhoe
  38. 1914VEI 2Observed
    1914-09-16 – 1914-10-16
    Ngauruhoe
  39. 1913VEI 2Observed
    1913-01-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  40. 1913VEI 2Observed
    1913-05-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  41. 1910VEI 2Observed
    1910-01-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  42. 1910VEI 2Observed
    1910-10-16 – 1911-01-16
    Ngauruhoe
  43. 1909VEI 2Observed
    1909-03-16 – 1909-07-16
    Ngauruhoe
  44. 1907VEI 2Observed
    1907-02-16 – 1907-05-16
    Ngauruhoe (south sub-crater)
  45. 1907VEI 2Observed
    1907-11-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  46. 1906VEI 2Observed
    1906-03-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  47. 1905VEI 2Observed
    1905-07-02 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  48. 1904VEI 2Observed
    1904-11-22 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  49. 1898VEI 2Observed
    1898-01-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  50. 1897VEI 2Observed
    1897-07-02 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  51. 1896VEI 2Observed
    1896-11-16 – 1896-12-26
    NE flank (upper Te Mari Crater)
  52. 1892VEI 2Observed
    1892-02-16 – 1892-03-16
    Ngauruhoe
  53. 1892VEI 2Observed
    1892-11-16 – 1892-12-16
    Ngauruhoe
  54. 1892VEI 2Observed
    1892-11-30 – end unknown
    NE flank (upper Te Mari Crater)
  55. 1890VEI 1Method not stated
    1890-03-16 – end unknown
    SSE flank (Red Crater)
  56. 1886VEI 2Observed
    1886-06-16 – end unknown
    NE flank (upper Te Mari Crater)
  57. 1885 (±1 yrs)VEI 1Observed
    1885-07-02 – 1887-07-02
    SSE flank (Red Crater)
  58. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883-04-25 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe (south sub-crater)
  59. 1881VEI 2Observed
    1881-07-06 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  60. 1878VEI 2Observed
    1878-09-01 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe (NW sub-crater)
  61. 1875VEI 2Method not stated
    1875-10-01 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  62. 1870VEI 2Observed
    1870-04-16 – 1870-08-16
    Ngauruhoe (NW sub-crater)
  63. 1869VEI 2Observed
    1869-07-02 – end unknown
    NE flank (Upper Te Mari Crater)
  64. 1869VEI 2Observed
    1869-08-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  65. 1864VEI 2Observed
    1864-12-16 – 1865-01-16
    Ngauruhoe
  66. 1863VEI 2Observed
    1863-07-02 – 1864-04-16
    Ngauruhoe
  67. 1862VEI 2Observed
    1862-01-16 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  68. 1859VEI 1Observed
    1859-04-21 – end unknown
    SSE flank (Red Crater)
  69. 1857VEI 2Observed
    1857-02-16 – 1857-03-16
    Ngauruhoe
  70. 1855VEI 2Observed
    1855-07-02 – end unknown
    SSE flank (Red Crater)
  71. 1844VEI 2Observed
    1844-10-16 – 1845-01-16
    Ngauruhoe
  72. 1841VEI 2Observed
    1841-07-02 – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe
  73. 1839VEI 1Observed
    1839-02-16 – 1839-03-16
    Ngauruhoe
  74. 1500 (±50 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1500 – end unknown
    Upper Te Mari Craters
  75. 550 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    550 BCE – end unknown
    Ngauruhoe and Red Crater
  76. 9350 BCEVEI 5Geological estimate
    9350 BCE – end unknown
    Tama Lakes to Te Mari
  77. 9450 BCEVEI 5Geological estimate
    9450 BCE – end unknown
    Saddle cone area to Half Cone
  78. 9650 BCEVEI 5Geological estimate
    9650 BCE – end unknown
    Saddle Cone to Half Cone
  79. 9850 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    9850 BCE – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

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