Earthquake reminder Rūaumoko in Taupo depths

Peter Verschaffelt Earthquake reminder Rūaumoko in Taupo depths

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One of the few Maori volcanologists is assuring whanau there’s nothing to fear from recent volcanic activity at Lake Taupo.

After a 5.6 magnitude earthquake at the end of November which generated a tsunami in the lake, there were hundreds of aftershocks, including a 2.5 quake yesterday.

Jonathan Proctor from Massey University’s Volcanoes Risk Research Group says it’s a timely reminder Taupo is still an active volcano.

“The earthquake the other week also shows us what we always thought, that the Horomatangi reef area is the active vent area for that volcno. It’s still most likely going to be the vent where a new volcano pops up but I wouldn’t worry – the probability of it erupting and causing some real problems are so low we haven’t really changed the alert levels,” he says,

Professor Proctor says many Maori place names show the ancestors’ awareness of seismic and natural forces, and their matauranga can help today’s scientists develop more robust forecasts.

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