Mount Doom Erupts

Mount Tongariro,  the volcano used to depict Mount Doom in the Lord of The Rings movies has erupted. According to a report in the NZ Herald The eruption came from Te Maari Crater, on the western side of the mountain, shortly before 1.30pm. A massive plume of ash could be seen coming from the mountain.…

Another Quake At Tongariro

The quake drum at Tongariro is showing evidence of another rumble beneath the volcano this evening, shown as the small red blip at the bottom of the chart below. Last night’s eruption can be seen in the trace at the top of the chart. The tremor was also picked up on the Outere Drum which…

Ash Cloud Grounds Flights To New Zealand

22 trans Tasman flights have been grounded after volcanic ash from Chile’s Puyehue volcano reached New Zealand. The ash falls come months before the start of the rugby world cup, which will be hosted in New Zealand this September. The Australian reported on the cancellations, saying QANTAS has cancelled 22 flights to and from New…

North Island Eruption Threat “Real” Warns Expert

“An eruption is coming, warns GNS Science volcanologist Dr Graham Leonard, and anyone living pretty much north of Wellington should be prepared. Leonard is part of a group of volcano experts advising local bodies, emergency services, government agencies and district health boards at a conference in Taupo this week, on how they can best prepare…