A 1859 German map of the field.

The Auckland volcanic field is a monogenetic volcanic field in the North Island of New Zealand. Basaltic in nature, it underlies much of the metropolitan area of Auckland. The field's many vents have produced a diverse array of explosion craters, scoria cones, and lava flows. Currently dormant, the field is likely to erupt again within the next "hundreds to thousands of years" (based on past events), a very short timeframe in geologic terms.^[1] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 461 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1063 × 1383 pixel, file size: 763 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 461 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1063 × 1383 pixel, file size: 763 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Monogenetic volcanic fields are areas of scattered volcanic vents; so that roughly speaking a monogenetic field is a type of volcano. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... For the cities, see Basalt, Colorado and Basalt, Idaho. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Auckland (disambiguation). ... Scoria Scoria is the vesicular ejecta of mafic to intermediate magmas such as basalt and andesite. ... Look up lava, Aa, pahoehoe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Towering over the city of Naples, Vesuvius is dormant but certainly not extinct A dormant volcano is a volcano which is not currently erupting, but is believed to still be capable of erupting in the future. ...

Volcanic features

Volcanoes

The first vents erupted at the Domain, Albert Park and St Heliers between 60,000 and 140,000 years ago. Since then some 49 vents have erupted, though each eruptive vent has generally only had a geologically short period of activity. The most recent eruption (about 600 years ago^[2] and within historical memory of the local Māori iwis) was of Rangitoto, an island shield volcano just east of the city, erupting 2.3 cubic kilometres of lava only centuries ago. Each volcanic eruption has tended to be bigger than the previous, with Rangitoto making up almost 60% of the field's entire volume of erupted material. All of the volcanoes are relatively small, most being less than 150 meters in height. The Auckland Domain is Aucklands oldest park, and one of the largest in the city, in the central suburb of Grafton The park is home to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, which sits prominently on the hill. ... The University Clock Tower from Albert Park. ... Saint Heliers is an Auckland suburb. ... This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ... Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. ... Shield volcano A shield volcano is a large volcano with shallowly-sloping sides. ...

Lava flows

The field has produced voluminous lava flows, which cover much of the Auckland isthmus. One of the longest runs from Three Kings northward, almost crossing the Waitemata Harbour to form Black Reef. More than 50 lava tubes and other lava caves have been discovered, including the 290 metre long Wiri Lava Cave.^[3] Three Kings is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, named after the three-peaked volcano within it. ... Auckland Harbour Bridge crossing the harbour. ... Thurston Lava Tube in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. ...

Human context

Usage

Several of the volcanic cones were occupied by substantial Māori pa before European settlement, and many terraces and other archeological remnants are still visible. Many of the cones have been levelled or strongly altered - in small part due to the historical Māori use, but mostly through relatively recent quarrying of construction materials (especially scoria). However several of the remaining volcanoes are now preserved as landmarks and parks.^[2] This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ... A pa or pā (pronounced pah) is a Māori village or community which is fortified and built for defence. ... The history of New Zealand dates back at least seven hundred years to when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians. ... This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ... Scoria Scoria is the vesicular ejecta of mafic to intermediate magmas such as basalt and andesite. ...

In March 2007, New Zealand submitted the volcanic field, with several specifically named features, as a World Heritage Site candidate based on its unique combination of natural and cultural features.^[2] At that time, only 2% of more than 800 World Heritage Sites worldwide were in this "mixed" category. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State...

Dangers

Since the field is not extinct, new volcanic events may occur at any time, though the usual period between events averages between hundreds and thousands of years. However, the effects of such an event, especially a full-scale eruption, would be substantial. With a warning period of possibly only a couple days, avoidance of loss of life is the immediate goal, but the effects of an eruption - ranging from lava bombs, ash falls, venting volcanic gas to lava flows - might continue for several months and cause substantial destruction and disruption. These might range from burial of substantial tracts of residential or commercial property to mid-to-long-term closures of major parts of the country's infrastructure, such as the Port of Auckland, the State Highway network or the Auckland International Airport.^[1] A lava bomb is a globule of molten rock (tephra) larger than 2. ... Ash plume from Mt Cleveland, a stratovolcano Diamond Head, a well-known backdrop to Waikiki in Hawaii, is an ash cone that solidified into tuff Volcanic ash consists of very fine rock and mineral particles less than 2 mm in diameter that are ejected from a volcanic vent. ... Volcanic gases include a variety of substances given off by active (or, at times, by dormant) volcanos. ... In computer programming jargon, lava flow is a problem in which computer code, usually written under less than optimal conditions, is put into production and then built on when still in a developmental state. ... Containers and container cranes on Fergusson Wharf, showing the busy nature of the port. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Auckland International Airport (IATA: AKL, ICAO: NZAA) is the largest and busiest international airport in New Zealand serving over 12 million passengers a year, which is expected to more than double in less than 15 years. ...

Various operative structures, plans and systems have been set up to prepare responses to renewed volcanic activity within the urban areas, mainly coordinated in the 'Auckland Volcanic Field Contingency Plan' of the Auckland Regional Council, which provides a framework for interaction of civil defense and emergency services during an eruption. Auckland also has a net of Seismic Monitoring Network (with 5 main stations and 3 repeaters within the Auckland Region) that will pick up the small tremors likely preceding any such volcanic activity.^[1] Auckland is one of the 15 regions of New Zealand, named after Auckland City, the large city at its heart. ... The old United States civil defense logo. ... Emergency services are services that deal with emergencies and other aspects of Public Safety. ... Seismometers (in Greek seismos = earthquake and metero = measure) are used by seismologists to measure and record the size and force of seismic waves. ... The Auckland Region is one of the 16 Regions of New Zealand, named for Auckland City, the large city at its heart. ... An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust that creates seismic waves. ...

List of volcanoes

Mount Eden's crater.

The volcanoes within the field include: Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 241 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 241 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ...

• Albert Park
• Ash Hill
• Browns Island
• Crater Hill
• Duders Hill
• Green Hill
• Hampton Park
• Hopua
• Kohuora
• Lake Pupuke
• Little Rangitoto
• Mangere Lagoon
• Mangere Mountain
• Manurewa
• Matakarua
• Maungataketake
• McLennan Hills

One Tree Hill with its obelisk.

• Mount Albert
• Mount Cambria
• Mount Eden (Mangawhau)
• Mount Hobson (Remuwera)
• Mount Richmond
• Mount Roskill
• Mount Saint John
• Mount Smart
• Mount Victoria
• Mount Wellington
• North Head
• One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie)
• Onepoto
• Orakei Basin
• Otara Hill
• Otuataua
• Panmure Basin
• Pigeon Mountain
• Pukaki
• Pukeiti

Rangitoto Island on the horizon.

• Pukekawa (Auckland Domain volcano)
• Pukekiwiriki
• Puketutu Island
• Rangitoto
• Robertson Hill
• Saint Heliers
• Styaks Swamp
• Tank Farm (also known as 'Tuff Crater')
• Taylor Hill
• Te Pouhawaiki
• Three Kings
• Waitomokia

The University Clock Tower from Albert Park. ... Browns Island from the west. ... Lake Pupuke is a freshwater lake occupying a volcanic crater between the suburbs of Takapuna and Milford on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. ... Mangere Mountain is one of the largest volcanic cones in the Auckland Volcanic Field, with a peak 107 metres above sea level, and was the site of a major pa. ... Manurewa is the southernmost major suburb of Manukau, one of the four cities that make up the conurbation of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 114 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) . One Tree Hill. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 114 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) . One Tree Hill. ... Mount Albert is a volcanic peak and suburban area in the city of Auckland, New Zealand. ... Mount Eden (Maungawhau - Mountain of the Whau tree in Māori) is the name of a volcano and surrounding suburb in Auckland, New Zealand, situated five kilometres south of the city centre. ... View northwestwards over Auckland City from the top of the mountain. ... Mount Roskill is a volcanic peak and suburban area in the city of Auckland, New Zealand. ... Mount Victoria is the highest volcano in Devonport, a seaside suburb of North Shore, New Zealand. ... Mount Wellington is a peak and a suburb in Auckland City, New Zealand The peak Mount Wellington is a 137 metre volcanic peak located in the Auckland volcanic field of Auckland, New Zealand. ... North Head as seen from the south from Tamaki Drive. ... Location of One Tree Hill in the Auckland area. ... Panmure Basin is a basin occupying a volcanic crater within the Auckland Volcanic Field in New Zealand. ... Pigeon Mountain is a extinct volcano situated in Bucklands Beach, Auckland, New Zealand. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 493 pixelsFull resolution (2077 × 1281 pixel, file size: 241 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 493 pixelsFull resolution (2077 × 1281 pixel, file size: 241 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Auckland Domain is Aucklands oldest park, and one of the largest in the city, in the central suburb of Grafton The park is home to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, which sits prominently on the hill. ... Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. ... Saint Heliers from the east. ... Three Kings is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, named after the three-peaked volcano within it. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Contingency Plan for the Auckland Volcanic Field (from the Auckland Regional Council website)
2. ^ ^{a b c} Auckland Volcanic Fields submission (from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2007-03-30. Accessed 2007-05-04)
3. ^ Cave New World - David Lomas, Heritage New Zealand, Winter 2006. Accessed 2007-05-04.

• Lava and Strata: A guide to the volcanoes and rock formations of Auckland - Homer, Lloyd Homer; Moore, Phil & Kermode, Les; Landscape Publications and the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, 2000. ISBN 0-908800-02-9.
• Probabilistic assessment of future vent locations and eruption styles for the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand - Magill, Christina R; McAneney, K.J.; Proceedings of the International Association for Mathematical Geology 2003, Portsmouth, UK, September 7-12, 2003.
• Volcanic risk ranking for Auckland, New Zealand. I: Methodology and hazard investigation - Magill, Christina R.; Blong, Russell; Bulletin of Volcanology, Volume 67, Issue 4, Apr 2005, Pages 331 - 339, DOI 10.1007/s00445-004-0374-6, accessed 2006-07-14.
• City of Volcanoes: A geology of Auckland - Searle, Ernest J.; revised by Mayhill, R.D.; Longman Paul, 1981. First published 1964. ISBN 0-582-71784-1.
• Facies analysis of pyroclastic deposits within basaltic tuff-rings of the Auckland volcanic field, New Zealand (abstract) - Sharon R. Allen, Vivienne F. Bryner, Ian E. M. Smith, Peter F. Ballance, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1996, Vol. 39: 309-327.

Auckland is one of the 15 regions of New Zealand, named after Auckland City, the large city at its heart. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• NZ Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Auckland Volcano page
• Auckland Regional Council - The Volcanoes of Auckland
• Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program: Auckland volcanic field
• University of Auckland's Geology of Auckland page (with interactive maps, requiring Apple QuickTime).