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New Zealand · Stratovolcano

Raoul Island

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
516m
Last eruption
2006
Raoul Island
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
New Zealand
Region
Tonga & Kermadec / Northern Kermadec Volcanic Arc
Elevation
516m
Coordinates
-29.270, -177.920
Last eruption
2006
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic andesite
Geological summary

Anvil-shaped Raoul Island is the largest and northernmost of the Kermadec Islands. During the past several thousand years volcanism has been dominated by dacitic explosive eruptions. Two Holocene calderas exist, the older of which cuts the center the island and is about 2.5 x 3.5 km wide. Denham caldera, formed during a major dacitic explosive eruption about 2200 years ago, truncated the W side of the island and is 6.5 x 4 km wide. Its long axis is parallel to the tectonic fabric of the Havre Trough that lies W of the volcanic arc. Historical eruptions during the 19th and 20th centuries have sometimes occurred simultaneously from both calderas, and have consisted of small-to-moderate phreatic eruptions, some of which formed ephemeral islands in Denham caldera. An unnamed submarine cone, one of several located along a fissure on the lower NNE flank, has also erupted during historical time, and satellitic vents are concentrated along two parallel NNE-trending lineaments.

Eruption history

18 recordedGlossary
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
2000 BCE~1809 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 41237 BCE~1046 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 4283 BCE~92 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 692 BCE~98 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 398~289 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 4289~480 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 4480~671 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 4671~861 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 41434~1624 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1624~1815 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 41815~2006 · 5 eruptions · max VEI 32000 BCE1046 BCE92 BCE8611815

Detailed timeline

  1. 2006VEI 1Observed
    2006-03-17 – 2006-03-17
    Green Lake crater
  2. 1987VEI 0Method not stated
    1987-03-25 – 1987-03-25
    NNE flank (7 km from Raoul Island)
  3. 1964VEI 2Observed
    1964-11-19 – 1965-04-25
    West side of Green Lake, Denham caldera
  4. 1886VEI 0Observed
    1886-03-16 – end unknown
    NNE flank (7.5 km from Raoul Island)
  5. 1870VEI 3Observed
    1870-06-20 – 1870-10-03
    Denham caldera, Green Lake
  6. 1814VEI 3Observed
    1814-03-09 – end unknown
    Denham caldera and Smith Crater
  7. 1720 (±50 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    1720 – end unknown
    Denham Bay?, Tui Lake Crater
  8. 1630 (±50 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    1630 – end unknown
    Rangitahua Crater
  9. 1450VEI ?Geological estimate
    1450 – end unknown
    NE of Raoul Island (Meyer Islands)
  10. 850VEI 4Geological estimate
    850 – end unknown
    Expedition Crater
  11. 700VEI 3Geological estimate
    700 – end unknown
    Pukekohu Crater
  12. 550VEI 4Geological estimate
    550 – end unknown
    Green Lake Pumice Crater
  13. 400VEI 4Geological estimate
    400 – end unknown
    S part Raoul Caldera
  14. 100VEI 4Geological estimate
    100 – end unknown
    N flank Moumoukai volcano
  15. 50 BCEVEI 3Geological estimate
    50 BCE – end unknown
    Denham caldera?
  16. 250 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 6Geological estimate
    250 BCE – end unknown
    Denham caldera
  17. 1200 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    1200 BCE – end unknown
    SW part of Raoul caldera
  18. 2000 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    2000 BCE – end unknown
    SE Raoul caldera

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External links

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