White Island - Extreme Pursuit

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 Volcano News

March 2021: Low-energy volcanic tremor, steam bursts.

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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.

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Images of White Island Volcano

For monitoring of this volcano, please refer to Geonet New Zealand.

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