Ruapehu rumbling nothing to do with Hawaii or Guatemala - volcanologist

  • 10/06/2018

GNS scientists are keeping a watch on Mt Ruapehu as it slowly turns up the heat.

The active volcano's crater lake is beginning to bubble in its latest heating cycle.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing, according to GNS Science volcanologist Geoff Kilgour.

"It means essentially the system is open and transferable - so it's able to move fluids beneath the lake, into the lake," he told Newshub.

The lake could reach up to 40degC over the coming winter months.

Dr Kilgour says Kiwis shouldn't be worried - the Hawaii and Guatemala eruptions won't have an effect on our own volcanic fields.

"They're all fed by their own little system. It's just too far for any stress to transfer or for any signal to be felt from one of these volcanoes so far away."

Skiers should not be put off from the slight rumbles either.

"If you hear the alarms going off… essentially that's just 'get out of the valley'," says Dr Kilgour.

"Just move to the side, and you should be fine."

Mt Ruapehu's last eruption was in 2007. It caused two lahars and sent rocks flying. One hit a teacher in the leg, which had to be amputated.

The aviation colour code remains at green, and its volcanic alert level at one.

Newshub.