Auckland’s Destructive Quintuplets

Auckland’s Destructive Quintuplets

At least five volcanoes were born at the same time in Auckland’s history, suggests research from The University of Auckland.

The research suggests that Auckland and some other major cities could be at risk of future simultaneous multiple eruptions.

Research published in Geophysical Research Letters shows the first ever evidence for such multiple eruptions in a volcanic field like Auckland. The research suggests at least five volcanoes in Auckland erupted within a period as short as 50 to 100 years, and possibly at the same time.

“This is the first evidence that multiple volcanic eruptions in such fields may have occurred at the same time, and could have tremendous consequences for people living in these highly active areas,” says Dr John Cassidy of the University’s School of Geography, Geology and Environmental Science. “Several cities worldwide sit on volcanic fields similar to Auckland’s, including Honolulu, Mexico City and the planned nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in the US. Most hazard planning for population centres vulnerable to volcanic eruptions assumes a single eruption at any point in time, but this research shows that this is not necessarily the correct course of thinking.”

Dr Cassidy’s research was funded by the Earthquake Commission and shows that the volcanoes of Puketutu, Crater Hill and Wiri in the south west of Auckland, and Mt Richmond and Taylor Hill all erupted within the same period. The discovery was made by studying volcanic rocks which have recorded unusual disturbances in the ancient Earth’s magnetic field.

ENDS

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