Auckland Volcanic Field – eruption impacts
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is built on the Auckland Volcanic Field – an area associated with a ‘hot spot’ in the Earth’s mantle that causes the crust to melt slightly, forming a reservoir of magma under the field.
Future explosions in Auckland
Many Aucklanders know that they live on an active volcanic field, but what would a future eruption be like and when might it happen? What can you do to help yourself if there was an eruption? Dr Jan Lindsay answers these questions.
Select here for the video transcript, update and copyright information.
Research indicates that an eruption of the Auckland Volcanic Field is a low-probability event and unlikely to occur in our lifetime. However, the underlying magma source is still active, and given the significant impact such an eruption could have on the city, it remains important to be aware of the potential hazards and possible impacts.
Defining volcanic hazards and the risk of eruption
A volcanic hazard is the chance of a volcanic eruption occurring. Scientists evaluate historical data to identify what sort of eruptions have occurred in the past. They investigate what areas would be affected, how much ash might be produced and how long an eruption would last.
The risk of a volcanic eruption is the combination of a volcanic hazard and the overall effect that the hazard has on a population of people. The risk posed by a volcano is determined by the probability of an eruption, how big that eruption would be and how people would respond.
If people are well prepared, the overall risk posed by an eruption is decreased, but the risk increases if people are not prepared. The best way to reduce the risks associated with volcanoes is to be prepared for a possible eruption.
Assessing volcanic hazards and risks in Auckland
Researchers from the DEVORA (DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland) programme study all aspects of volcanoes, including the chemical composition of their magma, the deposits they generate and the hazards they pose to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. As part of their outreach, the DEVORA team uses infographics to raise awareness about the potential impacts of an eruption.
Eruption impacts – how would an eruption in Tāmaki Makaurau impact the city?
Volcanic eruptions in Tāmaki Makaurau remain low-probability events. However, an eruption would impact the city and its occupants in a variety of ways.
Download the infographic as a PDF.
Using infographics as teaching tools
Science knowledge is often communicated through visual representations – graphs, diagrams and infographics. Each type of visual representation has literacy components that ākonga may need support to understand. The science capability ‘Interpret representations’ encourages ākonga to think about how data is presented, what the representation tells us and how it gets the message across.
This infographic pairs 12 specific volcanic hazards with illustrations of the impacts they could create. It is rich in content vocabulary, and the individual hazards lend themselves to short independent scientific inquiries. Many of these hazards are covered in Hub curations on volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis.
Nature of science in the curriculum
Developing visual and numerical literacies such as those used in infographics supports students to analyse and interpret data. The infographics also enable students to engage with science in social and cultural contexts.
Being prepared for a low-probability event
The information in the infographic can be confronting – it details many different volcanic hazards, not all of which would occur during a single eruption. Preparation helps to reduce the risks and potentially the anxiety the hazards might produce. Remind ākonga that DEVORA’s scientists, emergency managers, economists and other experts work to support the development of risk-management, preparedness, response and recovery plans.
Ākonga can simulate the work of the disaster preparation and response teams with the activities Who’s on your team? and 5-Minute Volcano. Both are active card games about natural disaster preparedness.
DEVORA infographics and supporting articles
City of volcanoes – the Auckland Volcanic Field Ngā Tapuwae ō Mataaho supported by the article Tāmaki Makaurau – city of volcanoes.
Hidden eruptions – the search for Auckland’s volcanic past supported by the article The search for Auckland’s volcanic past.
Rangitoto: odd one out – the story of Auckland’s largest volcano supported by the article Rangitoto – Auckland’s largest volcano.
Eruption impacts – how would an eruption in Tāmaki Makaurau impact the city? supported by the article Auckland Volcanic Field – eruption impacts.
The floor is lava – lava flows from Auckland’s volcanoes supported by the article Lava flows from Auckland’s volcanoes.
Ngā maunga – a brief history of maunga (mountains) in the Auckland Volcanic Field supported by the article Ngā maunga – Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s volcanic field.
Volcanic gas, acid rain and ash from possible future Auckland Volcanic Field eruptions supported by the article Volcanic gases – impacts on air quality.
Related content and activity ideas
The article Volcanoes resources – planning pathways provides additional pedagogical information. It also includes the interactive Planning pathways using volcano resources, in which we curate resources into key science concepts and topics. This curation has a specific focus on Auckland’s volcanoes.
The DEVORA programme aims to educate the public so that we know how to act during a possible volcanic event. Use these activities to show how scientists and others help us stay safe during emergencies:
Watching Rangitoto erupt – ākonga read the book Rangitoto and write their own story of Rangitoto, from the point of view of Māori who were on Motutapu at the time of the eruption.
Who’s on your team? – ākonga work in small groups to select a 6-member disaster response team from a set of 12 biography cards.
Home disaster kit – ākonga select items to include in a home disaster kit in case of emergency.
5-Minute Volcano – an active, collaborative board game about natural disaster preparedness.
Magma Drillers Save Planet Earth – a collaborative game in which ākonga take on a variety of scientific roles
Useful links
Visit the DEVORA website to learn more about its work – including teaching resources and opportunities for free outreach.
Acknowledgement
This resource has been produced with the support of DEVORA (DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland).
DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA)
DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) is a multi-agency, transdisciplinary, collaborative research programme led by volcanologists at the University of Auckland and Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly GNS Science) and funded by the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC) and Auckland Council.