GeoNet NZ Update Ruapehu Alert Level

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WyleECoyoteNZ

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#280537 21-Dec-2020 17:49

In case you hadn't seen it, today, GeoNet updated the Alert level of Ruapehu to Level 2

https://www.geonet.org.nz/vabs/2eRQvDWg31q0luE4H2McoY

Interestingly, in November it was reported that the crater lake temperature had almost doubled since September.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/mt-ruapehu-crater-lake-temperature-rising-says-gns/T6BSZG7BJRUW5GMOLENL5DOU7M/

networkn

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#2625062 21-Dec-2020 18:00

We were discussing this at work today. Based on White Island, we should remove everyone from the mountain until the levels drop, so worksafe can't spray and pray with legal challenges of everyone under the sun.

No risk should be considered, you can't have it both ways.

WyleECoyoteNZ

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#2625064 21-Dec-2020 18:08

DOC have closed the area within 2km of the crater lake.

Story from RNZ

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/433320/mt-ruapehu-moved-up-to-volcanic-alert-level-2

Text below taken from DOC Facebook page

UPDATE:

GNS Science

has raised the Volcanic Alert Level for Mount Ruapehu from 1 to 2.

Per DOC’s volcanic risk management plan, this means the area within 2km of Te Wai ā-moe/Crater Lake is closed to the public and concessionaires due to increased risk of eruption.

Mount Tongariro and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is not affected by increased volcanic unrest at Mount Ruapehu and remains open.

You can read the full alert here: https://bit.ly/3h7gzqN

More information on volcanic risk on Mount Ruapehu:

bit.ly/34tOghg

More information on how DOC manages volcanic risk in Tongariro National Park: bit.ly/3rq2nhE

The map below is of the exclusion zone

Geektastic

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#2625068 21-Dec-2020 18:21

I wonder if I’ll be able to see the eruption from my house?

old3eyes

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#2625077 21-Dec-2020 18:54

It's OK folks Worksafe has got it in hand.

Regards,

Old3eyes

networkn

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#2625100 21-Dec-2020 21:02

old3eyes: It's OK folks Worksafe has got it in hand.

By "in hand" do you mean, preparing another round of legal challenges whilst rubbing their hands together at the thought of all the fines they can hand out? If so, I agree, they most defininately do "have it in hand" :-)

If you can't tell, I am wildly opposed to the way in which they have handled the White Island situation :)

neb

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#2625108 21-Dec-2020 21:14

Geektastic: I wonder if I’ll be able to see the eruption from my house?

Depends whether it's the Yellowstone Supervolcano or not.

hsvhel

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#2625116 21-Dec-2020 21:39

networkn:

We were discussing this at work today. Based on White Island, we should remove everyone from the mountain until the levels drop, so worksafe can't spray and pray with legal challenges of everyone under the sun.

No risk should be considered, you can't have it both ways.

Literally the same conversation with a few people today.

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frankv

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#2625210 22-Dec-2020 08:08

neb:
Geektastic: I wonder if I’ll be able to see the eruption from my house?
Depends whether it's the Yellowstone Supervolcano or not.

Last eruption, the plume was easily visible from Whanganui & PN. The Wairarapa? You would need to be on top of the Tararuas on a clear day, I think.

Incidentally, Ruapehu is an andesite volcano, meaning the lava is fairly viscous, which is why you get a cone formed. But it also means it won't be a Supervolcano.

tehgerbil

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#2625213 22-Dec-2020 08:20

Yes - the news are already running the "Poor me" tourism operator sob stories.

frankv

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#2625214 22-Dec-2020 08:24

WyleECoyoteNZ:

Interestingly, in November it was reported that the crater lake temperature had almost doubled since September.

It's only doubled if you use the Celsius scale. The freezing point of water is not particularly relevant as a reference point for the Crater Lake temperature.

From https://www.geonet.org.nz/news/6mqCxZ74IMYeGAu0c2SeWo (2017):

GeoNet monitors Ruapehu volcano and its Crater Lake. The monitoring includes seismic, acoustic, GPS sensors around the volcano, gas flights and sampling of the Crater Lake. The temperature and water level of the lake are also monitored by datalogger. Crater Lake is now [2 Aug 2017] cool, currently the lake temperature is 19 °C. The temperature of the lake typically ranges from over 38 °C to less than 16 °C.

An analysis of the lake temperature data since 2009 when we installed a datalogger shows that for 5% of the time it is warmer than 38 °C and another 5% it is less than 16 °C. The median temperature is 24 °C. Looking at the longer term Crater Lake temperature data, collected from lake visits since 1950, the behaviour is similar. Those data show that for 5% of the time it is warmer than 47 °C and another 5% is cooler 14 °C. The higher temperature reflects the volcanic unrest and eruptive activity of the 1960’s-1980’s. The median temperature was 28.0 °C.

So 43 degrees is warmer than normal (for small values of normal), but not abnormal (for large values of normal).

GV27

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#2625272 22-Dec-2020 08:56

Been having a play with the GUI data viewer on Geonet (wish I had stuck with basic programming so I could use the API properly).

The temperature isn't wildly swinging around and nowhere near where it was in 1995 so people need to calm their farms.

If you want to be concerned about anything, we've had two shallow quakes under Taranaki in the last month after a few years of nothing. That is also not going anywhere but it's not part of a regular cycle like Ruapehu's warming.

old3eyes

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#2625277 22-Dec-2020 09:04

networkn:

old3eyes: It's OK folks Worksafe has got it in hand.

By "in hand" do you mean, preparing another round of legal challenges whilst rubbing their hands together at the thought of all the fines they can hand out? If so, I agree, they most defininately do "have it in hand" :-)

If you can't tell, I am wildly opposed to the way in which they have handled the White Island situation :)

You got what I meant :-)

Regards,

Old3eyes

Handsomedan

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#2625370 22-Dec-2020 10:26

Geektastic: I wonder if I’ll be able to see the eruption from my house?

Assume you're near(ish)?

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