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White Island is a 321m high stratovolcano located in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. It is known for its spectacular crater with sulphur deposits and strong hydrothermal activity. At exactly 2.11pm on Dec 9, an unforeseen phreatic eruption occurred on White Island. Tragically, a number of tourists were in the direct impact zone at the time of the eruption. 22 people were killed in the eruption.
Location: | Bay of Plenty, New Zealand |
Coordinates: | -37.521952, 177.179582 |
Volcano Type: | Stratovolcano |
White Island’s Location
White Island’s Latest Status
2024: Alert Level 2 – Moderate to heightened volcanic unrest.
White Island’s Eruptive History
1990 | Small ash/block eruption. |
1993 | Phreatic eruption. |
1998 | Minor eruptions. Alert Level raised. |
2000 | Ash eruptions resume from multiple vents. Increased tremor. |
2001 | Eruption with ash plume to 2km. |
2012 | After decreased activity, White Island erupts, producing a small ash cloud. |
2019 | At exactly 2.11pm on Dec 9, an unforeseen phreatic eruption occurred on White Island. Tragically, 22 tourists who were on the island at the time were killed. |
2020 | Red glow seen on cameras, suggesting magma is close to the surface. Ongoing steam eruptions. |
2023 | White Island continues to emit significant amounts of gas and steam. Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2. |
2024 | Alert Level raised to Level 3. Steam, gas and ash emissions. Shallow magma present. |
White Island Monitoring
For monitoring of this volcano, please refer to Geonet New Zealand.
White Island Images
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