Tech Tales: Installations and earthquakes in the Deep South
Our team had been close to finishing installation of two new Fiordland sites in March, until the COVID-19 lockdown. In early June they were ready to head back - they just needed a few good days of weather, no easy ask in the middle of a Fiordland winter.
Whakaari/White Island: Minor volcanic unrest continues. Aviation Colour code changed to Green, Volcanic Alert Level remains Level 1.
Based on the continuously decreasing level of volcanic activity and following the drop in Volcanic Alert Level to 1 a week ago on Tuesday 16 June 2020, the Aviation Colour Code is now changed to Green. The Volcanic Alert Level for Whakaari/White Island remains at Level 1.
The M7.4 Kermadec Earthquake and How GeoNet Monitors Tsunami
Monitoring tsunami has been part of our mandate for a long time, so it’s an important part of our daily operations. As this mornings M7.4 earthquake south of Raoul Island reminds us, tsunami is a very real threat to New Zealand.
Some Frequently Asked Questions around the recent change in Volcanic Alert Level at Whakaari/White Island
Based on the slowly decreasing level of volcanic activity and unrest the Volcanic Alert Level for Whakaari/White Island was lowered to Level 1 on June 16. Here we address some of the frequently asked questions around this change.
Whakaari/White Island: Volcanic Alert Level lowered to Level 1, minor volcanic unrest continues.
Based on the slowly decreasing level of volcanic activity and confirmation that the recently observed gas pulse was short-lived, the Volcanic Alert Level for Whakaari/White Island is now lowered to Level 1. The Aviation Colour Code remains at Yellow.
GeoNet’s Ask an Expert
You asked, we answered! We're sharing the videos of our experts we made during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown from questions we received from the public.
Whakaari/White Island: New activity update, elevated unrest continues
Last week scientists recorded a short-lived gas pulse that passed through the volcano from depth. This gas pulse was accompanied by minor ground uplift in the vent area and is likely linked to a fresh batch of magma at shallow depth below the volcano. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2 and the Aviation Colour Code at Yellow.
Whakaari/White Island: Monitoring and activity update
Whakaari/White Island remains in an elevated state of volcanic unrest. Gas flux has varied above background levels, and was elevated in our latest observation flight. Other monitoring parameters mostly remain within the range observed over the last 2 months. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2; Aviation Colour Code remains at Yellow.
The latest information on the Horowhenua earthquakes
On Monday 25 May a strong M5.8 earthquake occurred 30km north-west of Levin. This was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, including a M5.2 on Tuesday 26 May 2020.
Mt Ruapehu: Activity and Crater Lake temperature update
After a recent heating cycle, we anticipated that Crater Lake (Te Wai ā-moe) would begin cooling to lower temperatures seen earlier this year. The lake reached a peak temperature of 42°C in early April and cooled to around 35°C shortly after. Recent monitoring indicates continuous gas flux which has kept the temperature around 35°C through May.