DEVORA Fact Sheet 2 - Hidden Eruptions

The second of the DEVORA Fact Sheets.

Hidden Eruptions: The search for Auckland's Volcanic Past.

The Auckland region has a long history of being affected by volcanic eruptions. The region has experienced at least 53 eruptions from the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF) in the past 200,000 years, and it has been covered by ash from central North Island volcanoes at least 300 times during that period. To determine exactly how often the Auckland region has been affected by eruptions, scientists study ash layers that have been preserved in lake beds. They now think that ash has fallen on Auckland at least once every 600 years!