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Pupuke Moana (Lake Pupuke)

Ariel view of Pupuke Moana (Lake Pupuke), Auckland, New Zealand

Pupuke Moana (Lake Pupuke) on Auckland’s North Shore is a classic example of a maar volcano. It formed through a series of phreatomagmatic eruptions that excavated a large double crater around 190,000 years ago. Before these highly explosive eruptions, Pupuke Moana was a low shield volcano, built from overlapping basaltic lava flows and possibly small scoria cones. The lava from explosions at Lake Pupuke trapped many trees, which have become fossilised. These are still visible at Takapuna beach (Takapuna Fossil Forest).

Acknowledgement: Google Earth

Glossary

Rights: Tony Millet
Published: 9 April 2010Updated: 12 February 2026Size: 168.97 KB
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