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Auckland is built atop a massive volcano field. 1.5 million people, on top of and surrounded by dozens of volcanos, and the volcano field is not extinct... He

by mkl 2y ago

Auckland is built atop a massive volcano field. 1.5 million people, on top of and surrounded by dozens of volcanos, and the volcano field is not extinct... Here's a great article about it: https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-fire-beneath-us/ https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-fire-beneath-us/ Check out the maps in this Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_volcanic_field https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_volcanic_field

sitharus 2y ago
Yeah but it hasn’t erupted in ages, she’ll be right. As an Auckland resident we tend not to think if it much, except when walking around because the city is entirely built in hills.
- promiseofbeans 2y ago
  In Wellington we still have the hills, but no awesome volcanoes :(
fanf2 2y ago
Almost as terrifying as Naples https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240321-the-risk-of-volcano-eruption-in-naples-vesuvius-campi-flegrei https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240321-the-risk-of-vo...
- lostlogin 2y ago
  The Romans and Chinese noticed when Taupo went off last time, so there isn’t much point evacuating, you’re dead. The scale of that eruption was just incredible. “The eruption ejected some 45–105 km3 (11–25 cu mi) of bulk tephra, of which just over 30 km3 (7.2 cu mi) was ejected in approximately 6–7 minutes… The main extremely violent pyroclastic flow travelled at close to the speed of sound and devastated the surrounding area, climbing over 1,500 m (4,900 ft) to overtop the nearby Kaimanawa Ranges and Mount Tongariro, and covering the land within 80 km (50 mi) with ignimbrite… There were massive changes in the landscape for 40 km (25 mi) around with all life sterilised and prior landforms evened out.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatepe_eruption https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatepe_eruption
treprinum 2y ago
Is it like Naples with its Campi Flegrei?
- mkl 2y ago
  Yes, quite like that. I think it would be harder to evacuate, as it's a narrow isthmus.
  - lostlogin 2y ago
    It’s hard to move in Auckland pretty much any time. A tactical volcano might improve Auckland's infrastructure, hopefully joining the North Shore to the city in a way no politician has ever managed.
spondyl 2y ago
The Auckland Museum has an interactive exhibit where you can go into a little house and watch a (fake) news broadcast. It shows a suburb with a view of the ocean and then suddenly one of the underwater volcanos erupts which causes the house exhibit to shake and the lights flicker. It's pretty neat and worth a try for anyone visiting Auckland. Having lived here my whole life, I can say that the news broadcast is refreshed every few years and is portrayed by our actual prime time news anchors (from our state broadcaster)
- snthpy 2y ago
  Oh man, I've been considering emigrating to Auckland and now you tell me that apart from insane house prices there would also be supervulcano status to worry about?
  - nxicvyvy 2y ago
    Auckland: active volcano field Toupo: supervolcano double the size of Yellowstone Wellington: been waiting for "the big one" earthquake as long as I can remember. Christchurch: Had their big one, the paved roads turned to sand. Entire suburbs got abandoned. Main shopping district is still made out of shipping containers. Everywhere: no ozone, you burn instantly in summer without 100spf at 10am and even then it's still kind of stupid to go outside at all around 2pm. Seriously, just do yourself a favour, move to Sydney, Australia. The snakes mostly keep to the outer suburbs and the spiders aren't that scary. The giant flying cockroaches take a bit to get used to though.
    - aunty_helen 2y ago
      This post is an act of treason. Auckland: Has a motorway network that would allow the city to evacuate within a few days. Taupo: was a long time a go and has some good hot water now because of it. Wellington: it would be mostly the bureaucratic class to go Christchurch: yes, there is still remnants of an earthquake 13 years gone but you get used to the marine vibe with the shipping containers, a little bit of Lyttelton vibe in the big smoke. As for the ozone, we can hardly be blamed for that. And our most dangerous animal has been eaten to extinction, I would suggest Australians start down the list and do the same.
phyalow 2y ago
That 1866 map on the Wikipedia link is stunning, I remember being shown it during a Phyisical Geography class at the University of Auckland, the professors comments at the time where something along the lines of "probably okay, but also might not be" - as if. The fact Rangitoto (a giant shield volcano smack bang in the middle of the City) is c. 600 years old is incredible - its an absolute baby on the geological record. New Zealand is a ticking time bomb for natural catastrophy, whether its Taupo (or the wider Central Platuea), Aucklands field awakening from its momentary sleep (there are occasionally small disturbances), a quake in Wellington or god forbid a Tsunami coming from the Hikurangi or Kermadic trenches. New Zealand has been relatively lucky for its short inhabited history when taken against its status as a highly exposed member of the Ring of Fire.
- lostlogin 2y ago
  If Taupo goes again there probably isn’t anywhere on earth that won’t notice. Supposedly the Romans and Chinese recorded some of its effects when it went ~2000 years ago. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatepe_eruption https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatepe_eruption
abrookewood 2y ago
What the hell ... there must be close to 50 of them listed on that page. I had no idea - it's like a volcano nursery!

by mkl 2y ago

sitharus 2y ago

Yeah but it hasn’t erupted in ages, she’ll be right. As an Auckland resident we tend not to think if it much, except when walking around because the city is entirely built in hills.

promiseofbeans 2y ago
In Wellington we still have the hills, but no awesome volcanoes :(

fanf2 2y ago

Almost as terrifying as Naples https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240321-the-risk-of-volcano-eruption-in-naples-vesuvius-campi-flegrei https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240321-the-risk-of-vo...

lostlogin 2y ago
The Romans and Chinese noticed when Taupo went off last time, so there isn’t much point evacuating, you’re dead. The scale of that eruption was just incredible. “The eruption ejected some 45–105 km3 (11–25 cu mi) of bulk tephra, of which just over 30 km3 (7.2 cu mi) was ejected in approximately 6–7 minutes… The main extremely violent pyroclastic flow travelled at close to the speed of sound and devastated the surrounding area, climbing over 1,500 m (4,900 ft) to overtop the nearby Kaimanawa Ranges and Mount Tongariro, and covering the land within 80 km (50 mi) with ignimbrite… There were massive changes in the landscape for 40 km (25 mi) around with all life sterilised and prior landforms evened out.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatepe_eruption https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatepe_eruption

treprinum 2y ago

Is it like Naples with its Campi Flegrei?

mkl 2y ago
Yes, quite like that. I think it would be harder to evacuate, as it's a narrow isthmus.
- lostlogin 2y ago
  It’s hard to move in Auckland pretty much any time. A tactical volcano might improve Auckland's infrastructure, hopefully joining the North Shore to the city in a way no politician has ever managed.

spondyl 2y ago

The Auckland Museum has an interactive exhibit where you can go into a little house and watch a (fake) news broadcast. It shows a suburb with a view of the ocean and then suddenly one of the underwater volcanos erupts which causes the house exhibit to shake and the lights flicker. It's pretty neat and worth a try for anyone visiting Auckland. Having lived here my whole life, I can say that the news broadcast is refreshed every few years and is portrayed by our actual prime time news anchors (from our state broadcaster)

snthpy 2y ago
Oh man, I've been considering emigrating to Auckland and now you tell me that apart from insane house prices there would also be supervulcano status to worry about?
- nxicvyvy 2y ago
  Auckland: active volcano field Toupo: supervolcano double the size of Yellowstone Wellington: been waiting for "the big one" earthquake as long as I can remember. Christchurch: Had their big one, the paved roads turned to sand. Entire suburbs got abandoned. Main shopping district is still made out of shipping containers. Everywhere: no ozone, you burn instantly in summer without 100spf at 10am and even then it's still kind of stupid to go outside at all around 2pm. Seriously, just do yourself a favour, move to Sydney, Australia. The snakes mostly keep to the outer suburbs and the spiders aren't that scary. The giant flying cockroaches take a bit to get used to though.
  - aunty_helen 2y ago
    This post is an act of treason. Auckland: Has a motorway network that would allow the city to evacuate within a few days. Taupo: was a long time a go and has some good hot water now because of it. Wellington: it would be mostly the bureaucratic class to go Christchurch: yes, there is still remnants of an earthquake 13 years gone but you get used to the marine vibe with the shipping containers, a little bit of Lyttelton vibe in the big smoke. As for the ozone, we can hardly be blamed for that. And our most dangerous animal has been eaten to extinction, I would suggest Australians start down the list and do the same.

phyalow 2y ago

That 1866 map on the Wikipedia link is stunning, I remember being shown it during a Phyisical Geography class at the University of Auckland, the professors comments at the time where something along the lines of "probably okay, but also might not be" - as if. The fact Rangitoto (a giant shield volcano smack bang in the middle of the City) is c. 600 years old is incredible - its an absolute baby on the geological record. New Zealand is a ticking time bomb for natural catastrophy, whether its Taupo (or the wider Central Platuea), Aucklands field awakening from its momentary sleep (there are occasionally small disturbances), a quake in Wellington or god forbid a Tsunami coming from the Hikurangi or Kermadic trenches. New Zealand has been relatively lucky for its short inhabited history when taken against its status as a highly exposed member of the Ring of Fire.

lostlogin 2y ago
If Taupo goes again there probably isn’t anywhere on earth that won’t notice. Supposedly the Romans and Chinese recorded some of its effects when it went ~2000 years ago. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatepe_eruption https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatepe_eruption

abrookewood 2y ago

What the hell ... there must be close to 50 of them listed on that page. I had no idea - it's like a volcano nursery!