Lake Taupo is in the center of New Zealand’s North Island. While its surface appears calm and peaceful, it hides a supervolcano that is still active. According to scientists, the volcano is still rumbling and causing nearby soils to shift.
The surrounding landscape has completely changed
The waters of lac Taupo are in a prehistoric caldera (boiler, in Spanish), a giant circular volcanic crater. This would have formed 25,400 years ago, following the volcanic eruption of Oruanui. When the magma was released to the surface, the surrounding landscape changed completely.
According to the authors of this new study published in the journal New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysicsthe supervolcan would have been active 25 times in the past 12,000 years. The most recent activity dates back to 232 AD. Scientists note that it is one of the most explosive eruptions that took place on our planet in historical times. Since this event, the volcano experienced at least four documented episodes of unrest. These bouts of unrest led to terrible earthquakes and massive ground subsidence in 1922.
Several episodes of geological unrest over the past 35 years
In this new study, the researchers analyzed data collected over 42 years using sounding stations placed at around 20 sites around the lake. Finn Illsley-Kemp, lead author of the study, explains that four polls have been taken each year since the new polling technique was implemented in 1979.
So far, scientists have observed seven episodes of geological disturbances within Lake Taupo. The latter noted ground shifts as early as 1983. They note that during episodes of geological unrest, the northeast end of the lake tended to rise, the lake bed near the center of the fault belt was sinking and the southern end had sunk slightly.
This study shows that the volcano under the lake is still active. Scientists note, however, that there is no indication that it will erupt soon.
