Ngā maunga – Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s volcanic field
The Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland landscape features over 50 scoria cones, explosion craters, tuff rings, shield volcanoes and lava caves. It also features fertile, well-drained volcanic soils formed from weathered ash and lava. The dramatic landscapes and rich soils have come from the Auckland Volcanic Field – an active 200,000-year-old magma field that underlies the city.
Otuataua Stonefields
Otuataua Stonefields Historic Reserve is a remnant of the food gardens that once covered the Auckland isthmus. Māori used stone walls to protect against wind and warm the soil.
Polynesian voyagers and early settlements
Around 1,000 years ago, ocean-going waka arrived in Aotearoa. Tāmaki Makaurau became a significant site for Māori settlement. The Manukau and Waitematā Harbours provided plentiful seafood and key access points for navigation. The Tūpuna Maunga – volcanic cones – became important pā sites. Most of the maunga were modified. Māori dug tūāpapa (terraces) to hold whare (houses), rua (storage pits) and other structures. They used innovation and hard work to optimise the fertile soils and growing conditions on the surrounding slopes.
The Tūpuna Maunga are places to be honoured, respected and protected for those who have gone before and for the many generations to come.
The Tūpuna Maunga are regarded as ancestors and as living entities with mauri and wairua. They were created by Mataaho (the guardian of secrets hidden in the Earth) and Rūaumoko (the atua of earthquakes and volcanoes).
Maungawhau (Mt Eden)
Mt Eden is a scoria cone volcano, consisting of two overlapping cones that last erupted together or close in succession around 28,000 years ago. At 196 m in height, Mt Eden is the highest natural point in Auckland. Historically used as a pā site and also a quarry.
Acknowledgement: Lloyd Homer, GNS Science
With the arrival of European settlers, many of the maunga were quarried for roading and building materials or turned into water reservoirs. The topography of the maunga, the pā sites and their structures were damaged and lost.
Ngā Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau – a new era
In 2014, The Tūpuna Maunga Authority was established. Ownership of 14 Tūpuna Maunga was transferred to the 13 iwi/hapū of Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau. The Maunga are public reserves and are recognised as wāhi tapu – sites of immense historical, cultural, spiritual and customary importance to mana whenua.
Ngā Maunga and DEVORA
The Maunga are also of interest to the DEVORA (DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland) programme, which brings together researchers from across Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond to assess volcanic hazards and risks in Auckland. The volcanic cones have stories to tell about past eruptions around Tāmaki Makaurau and can help inform us about future activity.
As part of their outreach, the DEVORA team uses infographics to raise awareness about the Auckland Volcanic Field and the importance of understanding the local environment and landscape.
Ngā maunga – a brief history of maunga (mountains) in the Auckland Volcanic Field
Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau have a special relationship with Tūpuna Maunga. They are living entities with mana and wairua.
Download 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.
Interrogate the infographic with questions – for example:
Who created the infographic?
Who is the intended audience?
What is the central theme?
Are there subthemes?
What makes the message credible?
What other information might you need to understand the infographic?
Are there specific scientific words or terms?
Where can you find the information that might fill in these gaps?
By their nature, infographics use concise text, so we’ve placed each DEVORA infographic within an article that includes background information and links to related content. Use them to explore and deepen understanding of concepts within the infographics.
DEVORA’s suite of infographics:
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.
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.
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.
Ihumātao – past and present tells of Ihumātao papakāinga – Auckland’s oldest settlement – and the innovative ways in which mana whenua made use of the fertile soils created by Tūpuna Maunga.
Māori were New Zealand’s first soil scientists and modified soils to promote crop growth.
Useful links
Visit the DEVORA website to learn more about its work – including teaching resources and opportunities for free outreach.
Visit the Tūpuna Maunga Authority website for information about each of the 14 Tūpuna Maunga.
The Department of Conservation has nominated the Auckland Volcanic Field for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Connected instructional series 2011 Level 1 Rūaumoko Rages has four articles – Living With a Volcano, Rūaumoko Rages, Taupō and Time Capsules – that support learning about Tūpuna Maunga.
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.