How old is Rangitoto volcano?
about 600 years ago
Rangitoto is the youngest and largest of the approximately 50 volcanoes of the Auckland volcanic field, having formed in an eruption about 600 years ago, and covering an area of 2,311 ha (5,710 acres).
What is special about Rangitoto?
Rangitoto is the youngest and by far the largest cone in the Auckland volcanic field. Smaller cones, such as those at North Head and Mt Victoria in Devonport on the North Shore, are typical of the earlier eruptions.
Why is Rangitoto called Sky Blood?
Rangitoto literally means sky blood. Early European settlers speculated that its name was evidence of an eyewitness account of its eruption. But in reality the meaning is not volcanic.
When did Rangitoto explode?
Rangitoto erupted in two phases about 600 years ago – each phase may have been only a few years apart. Previous hypotheses that Rangitoto started erupting 6000 years ago and in numerous small eruptions since then have been shown to be incorrect.
What is Rangitoto made of?
Rangitoto is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf visible from most parts of Auckland City. It is the most recent, largest and least altered volcano in the Auckland Volcanic Field. This is made up of around 50 small volcanoes that have formed over the last 250.000 years.
Is Rangitoto a live volcano?
The Auckland volcanic field is made up of over 53 volcanoes and these volcanoes are extinct. This means they will not erupt again with the exception of Rangitoto Island, which is dormant.
Is Rangitoto volcano active?
Will Rangitoto erupt again?
How was the Rangitoto volcano formed?
Rangitoto makes up nearly 60% of the total volume of material erupted. It was formed by at least 2 eruptions 600-700 years ago and is now about 260 m above sea level and 5.5 km wide. Roads and tracks allow visitors to walk over lava fields and through lava caves (tubes left behind by the passage of liquid lava).
Will Rangitoto explode?
However, because it is the only known example of two eruptions occurring from one volcano throughout the entire history of the Auckland Volcanic Field, we think it is unlikely Rangitoto will erupt again.
What type of rock is Rangitoto made of?
basalt magma
The melted rock is basalt magma which has a low viscosity (flows easily) and may rise to the surface at speeds of up to 5 km/hour. Rangitoto consists of scoria cones on top of a broad ring of lava flows.
Is Rangitoto an active volcano?
Rangitoto Rangitoto is also New Zealand’s youngest volcano and Auckland’s most active, last erupting only 600 years ago.
How big is the Rangitoto volcano?
The 5.5 km (3.4 mi) wide island is a symmetrical shield volcano cone, reaching a height of 260 m (850 ft). Rangitoto is the youngest and largest of the approximately 50 volcanoes of the Auckland volcanic field, having formed in an eruption about 600 years ago, and covering an area of 2,311 ha (5,710 acres).
Where is Rangitoto Island?
Situated about 8 km northeast of Auckland and connected to Motutapu Island by a causeway, Rangitoto is a large island of 2311 hectares with a wonderful volcanic landscape that supports over 200 species of moss, plants and trees including the largest Pohutukawa forest in the world.
What would happen if there was another Rangitoto volcano in Auckland?
Another Rangitoto-sized volcano in the wrong place would devastate everything within a 3.5 km radius, a total distance equivalent to that between Devonport and One Tree Hill, or from the Auckland Harbour Bridge to Mission Bay.