GeoNet use a variety of monitoring methods at Whakaari/White Island, including two seismographs, one GPS station, and three cameras, which are all capable of taking images at night. Monitoring also looks at gases released in the air from the active vent and through the crater lake. This is done by flying around the volcano and by sensors on the island.

White Island eruption 20 August 2013 5x speed

White Island eruption taken from images of the GeoNet Whakatane camera. Compiled from 1 second images, the video is sped up by a factor of 5.

White Island eruption 20 August 2013 Crater Rim - 5x speed

White Island volcano eruption 20 August 2013. Compiled from 1 second images from the Crater Rim camera. The video is sped up by a factor of 5.

We will continue to assess the level of activity in the coming days, and will be keeping a sharp eye on the volcano.

A few common questions we've had are:

Q: What is the likelihood of further eruptions like today's?

A: Today's eruption is part of the eruption sequence that started in August 2012 (read the volcanic alert bulletin for that eruption here). That included ash eruptions and a small lava dome. There was also explosive activity in the crater lake, that lasted over a month (January-Feb 2013). The latest was only a few days ago.

The volcano has been in a state of unrest for over a year now and further activity could follow.

Q: Was there any warning of this eruption? A: Eruptions like this morning have no short term warnings. There have been many signs of unrest, like volcanic tremor, activity in the Crater Lake, water level changes and moderate gas flux that all mean there could be eruptions

Q: Is the eruption related to the earthquakes around Seddon? A: Research in this area, both here and overseas suggests that earthquake can sometimes have an effect on volcanoes. However, with the data at hand, there is currently no clear evidence that the Cook Strait earthquakes impacted on White Island and caused the eruption.

Q: Could an eruption on Whakaari/White Island cause a tsunami? A: No, the chances of an eruption causing a tsunami are very slim. The eruption would have to be much larger than any historic White Island eruption. The current activity at White Island does not pose any risk to people in the Bay of Plenty region, the hazards posed by an eruption like this morning are restricted to people on the Island and boats within the immediate vicinity.

Q: Could this eruption interact with any of New Zealand's other volcanoes? A: No, the source of the Whakaari/White Island eruptions is shallow and there is no way that it could interact with any other volcanoes.