Mount Tongariro erupts
BREAKING DEVELOPING NEWS
Mt Tongariro has erupted with a 2km-high ash plume seen in the sky and residents reporting the sulphur is making it harder to breathe.
COMMENT IF YOU HAVE SEEN ANYTHING FROM THE ERUTION
GNS Science confirmed the eruption, at the Te Maari crater, happened shortly after 1.20pm. It is the second eruption on the mountain this year; an eruption on August 6 was the first on Tongariro for more than 100 years.
Up to 90 Napier schoolchildren were on the mountain, two hours into a tramp on the Tongariro track, but are safe and well.
Tamatea Intermediate teacher Lomi Schaumkel said the group - which also included six parents and four teachers - was near the Katetahi hot springs when they saw the beginnings of the eruption.
''We were right up there next to it. It was just amazing. We were probably only a kilometre away from it. We were right next to one of the signs saying we were out of the danger zone.
''We saw all these tourists running away from it. We didn't stick around long,'' he said.
A further 20 Year 8 pupils from Gulf Harbour School in Whangaparoa were making their way off the track with parents and guides after being just 750m from where the crater erupted.
Two bus drivers from Nimon and Sons, who took the Napier children to the mountain, had reported back to their base that they could see an ash plume 2km high, a spokesman said.
Conservation Department (DOC) area manager Jonathan Maxwell said 30 to 50 people were being evacuated from the Tongariro Crossing track. No injuries had been reported but the crossing had been closed.
Today's eruption lasted for about five minutes. GNS has updated the alert on Tongariro to level 2, meaning there is "minor eruptive activity". The aviation colour code has been lifted to red, meaning there is "significant emission of ash'' into the atmosphere.
Air New Zealand flights between Taupo and Wellington have been cancelled because of the volcanic activity.
An airline spokesman said the company was working with the Civil Aviation Authority and the MetService to monitor the ash cloud.
Passengers were being advised to check the Air New Zealand website for flight arrivals and departure information which would be constantly updated throughout the day.
A national advisory has been issued by Civil Defence saying regions from Waikato down to Hawke's Bay could be affected by ash cloud.
"Minor volcanic activity is occurring at Tongariro - Te Maari craters and could be hazardous in the immediate vicinity of the craters.
"Light volcanic ash fall can be anticipated downwind of Tongariro and may impact the following areas or regions: Waikato; Hawkes Bay; Gisborne and Bay of Plenty."
Genesis Energy was shutting production at its Tongariro hydro scheme site south of Lake Taupo.
Tongariro/Rangipo Prison - which is located near the base of Mt Tongariro, off the Desert Road - was operating as normal at this stage.
Corrections Department central regional manager Terry Buffery said there was no local site impact following the eruption.
''However, robust plans are in place to manage the facility should the situation escalate. Safety is always a priority for staff, prisoners and the public. We are confident in our ability to respond accordingly.''
STAY INDOORS
Civil Defence has warned people to stay indoors if ash is present.
"Volcanic ash could be a health hazard, especially if you suffer from breathing difficulty. If outside, seek shelter (e.g. in a car or building)."
It was advising people to close all windows and cover their mouths if caught in the ash. People should stay out of designated restricted zones.
DOC had a helicopter in the air and was canvassing the volcano to see if they could locate anyone on the mountain, a Taupo Council spokeswoman said.
"There is a helicopter looking to see if there's anyone around, any visitors on the mountain to make sure everybody is safe," she said.
Taupo Council's civil defence emergency manager Phil Parker, who coordinated the response last time the volcano erupted, was working with DOC and other organisations.
RESIDENTS ALARMED
Lake Rotoaira resident Robyn Bennett said there was a big, black ash cloud over her house, which was about a kilometre from the eruption site.
"It's just blew her stack," she said.
She said the air smelled of sulphur.
"It's hard to breathe if you go outside, it's pushing out quite heavily." Bennett said she didn't hear the eruption but it looked like a new vent had formed in front of a previous eruption crater. The ash cloud was moving east towards Napier and Taupo.
Ann Lambert, owner of the Rainbow Motel at Tokaanu, near Turangi, said she had not heard any noise, unlike the previous time Tongariro erupted when there had been a "huge loud noise".
"We weren't aware it had happened. We just looked up and saw it," she said.
"It's just a grey cloud at the moment ... It's not as imposing as the last time."
Kathleen Konui, who lives at Otukou Marae "just below" the mountain, said she had heard a sound like a shotgun going off.
"The mountain was all covered with white smoke," she said.
In the hour or so since then the air had cleared, although she could still see some smoke coming from about four holes on the mountain.
"I'm standing here now looking at them."
The sky was too hazy for her to be able to see a plume from the eruption.
At 1.30am this morning a New Zealand Couriers truck driver reported a strong smell of sulphur on the Desert Road while Motuoapoa resident Cindy Greaney said she noticed an "obvious smell of sulphur" at 6am.
HISTORY REPEATS
This is the second eruption this year. The Te Maari crater erupted on August 6, the first time in more than 100 years.
The eruption, on August 6, widened and deepened the crater and reactivated vents which had been covered up in the 116 years since it last erupted in 1896.
Ruapehu has also been active recently but has not erupted. Pressure was building under the volcano and there was an increased likelihood of an eruption, GNS said last week.
The volcanoes are close to each other but scientists did not believe that the activity at both volcanoes was related.
However, they couldn't exclude the possibility, GNS vulcanologist Nico Fournier said earlier this week.
"We don't have evidence at the moment that the activity of the two volcanoes are related," Fournier said. "But we can't exclude it entirely."
GNS vulcanologists were researching if activity at the two volcanoes was connected and also were looking at the relationship between earthquakes and volcanic activity.
A series of earthquakes rattled the ground beneath Tongariro in the weeks leading up to the August eruption and another series of quakes have shaken the ground beneath Ruapehu in the last few weeks.
SCIENTISTS SHOCKED; "WE WERE NOT READY"
This afternoon's eruption on Mt Tongariro caught scientists by surprise and has left them unsure what will happen next at the volcano.
Senior Volcano Geophysicist at GNS, Steve Sherburn, told ONE News there could be more activity in the next few weeks.
"I think for the next week or two weeks at least we're possibly in a situation where we may get additional activity - it's really hard to work out. This is the difficulty of dealing with a volcano like Tongariro."
The eruption lasted for about five minutes and sent an ash plume 3km into the sky.
No-one was injured and nearby residents have reported just a light dusting of ash on their properties. However, scientists are now struggling to predict what might happen next.
"One of the key things is there was absolutely no warning of this," Sherburn said. "The seismic stations we have monitoring Tongariro showed no activity before the eruption at all.
"Nature seems to be throwing us curve balls at the moment."
Witnesses say the eruption in the Te Maari Crater came 'out of the blue' with no ground shaking or increased activity at the vent.
It came from the the same crater as another blast in August which covered the local area in ash and forced the Department of Conservation to close off walking tracks.
However, within days the seismic activity around the volcano had dropped and the area was deemed safe again, making today's events all the more surprising.
"Because the eruption in August was the first for 100 years we don't know what a normal pattern of activity is," Sherburn said.
"We do know in the 1880's and 1890's Tongariro did have a series of eruptions over a few months, and what we were thinking was the eruption earlier this year wasn't going to be followed by anything at all because everything was trending back to normal," Sherburn said.
Pressure has also been building beneath the crater lake of the nearby Mt Ruapehu and it has been suggested the heightened activity beneath both volcanoes could be linked.
However, Sherburn said he believes it is just a coincidence, "but I'd be glad for someone to prove me wrong".
LIVE UPDATES:
Follow live updates of the Mount Tongariro eruption.
- Mount Tongariro erupted at around 1.30pm
- Volcanic Alert Level raised from 1 to 2
- Eruption lasted five minutes
10:09pm: Dribble NZ News is in the process of creating a story for tommorow which will include exclusive infomation and a good read!
10:00pm: Air New Zealand has advised passengers that there will be no early flights tommorow in some area's due to ash cloud. More delays are possible.
9:00pm Dribble NZ have worked with our news affiliates to bring you the latest on this breaking news story. Thankyou, for staying with us.
8.02pm: Mt Tongariro is continuing to puff out a cloud of ash and steam this evening, nearly seven hours after erupting.
6.45pm: All hikers are now safely off Mt Tongariro after this afternoon's eruption.
6.04pm: ONE News reporter Daniel Faitaua said GNS Science cannot rule out whether heightened activity at Ruapehu's Crater Lake contributed today's eruption.
5.46pm: All roads are open in the Tongariro area, however drivers are being told to exercise caution.
5.28pm: GNS Science says activity on the mountain has decreased, downgrading the Aviation Colour Code from Red to Orange. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 2.
5.20pm: Jetstar communications manager Phil Boeyen said no Jetstar flights had been cancelled, however there were some delays while they assessed the situation.
5.16pm: Livestock are not expected to be affected by today's eruption, however the NZ Veterinary Association warns if the situation gets worse there may not be enough water and clean feed available.
4.56pm: Leola Abraham from the Taupo District Council said the Department of Conservation put a helicopter up to look for people still on the mountain. She said DoC was still working to remove staff from Tongariro.
4.46pm: Gulf Harbour School Principal John Petrie said there were levels of apprehension after the eruption, but that the 20 Year 8 students felt safe.
"It's an experience I don't think our children will ever forget."
4.37pm: ONE News reporter Ruth Wynn-Williams said a huge column of ash is still coming out of the crater even though the mountain is no longer erupting.
4.30pm: Ash is expected to fall downwind of the mountain in the Waikato, Hawkes Bay and Bay of Plenty.
4.12pm: Area Commander Inspector Steve Bullock is reiterating a message for people to stay away from the volcano to avoid "unnecessary congestion" in the area.
4.01pm: State Highway 46, the road leading up to the mountain, is the only road affected by the eruption.
3.38pm: A group of 20 Year 8 students from Gulf Harbour School were also on Tongariro when it erupted. Deputy Principal Jane Cochrane said all the children were safe.
3.26pm: Air New Zealand says flights operating to some airports east of Mount Tongariro may be delayed or cancelled as a result of the eruption. Find if your flight has been delayed here.
3.13pm: A group of around 45 walkers with Adrift Outdoors are heading out of the area.
3.08pm: Tamatea Intermediate Principal Roy Sye said children were on a field trip eating lunch when the mountain "blew up".
"We had plans in place because we knew there was heightened risk."
3.04pm: Airways NZ said it will work with airlines to ensure flight paths are well above or around the ash and steam coming from the eruption, and said the cloud seems to be moving quite quickly.
3.01pm: Around 50 people are thought to be doing the Tongariro Crossing, and DoC spokeswoman Kim Turia said access roads to the mountain have been shut.
2.55pm: A group of school children on the Tongariro crossing are safe.
2.52pm: There have been no reports of injuries.
2.51pm: Sam Kennedy, who was filming in the area for Australian Geographic, said it was "pretty surreal". He said there was no noise or shaking of the ground before it erupted.
2.43pm: Senior Volcano Geophysicist Steve Sherburn said the eruption went on for about 5 mins. The ash went 2 or 3km above the crater before it drifted north-east.
"One of the key things is there was absolutely no warning of this the seismic stations we have monitoring Tongariro showed no activity before the eruption at all."
Sherburn said there are no volcanic patterns emerging because nature seems to be "throwing us curve balls at the moment".
2.34pm: Air New Zealand said on Twitter the eruption was not causing delays at the moment.
Air New Zealand
@FlyAirNZ
We do not currently expect delays/cancellations to our domestic services as a result of Mt Tongariro eruption based on info at this time.
2.40pm: Here's the Civil Defence information for a volcanic eruption.
2.31pm: Ash from the eruption is beginning to hit the ground.
2.25pm: Ed Swift tweets: "Don't worry, it's just Peter Jackson putting the last touches on #TheHobbit.
2.32pm: Taupo Civil Defence is responding to the eruption to ensure anyone on or around the mountain is safe.
2.25pm: A b us company has confirmed about 100 teachers and children from Tamatea Intermediate are about two hours into the tramp on Tongariro track. Bus drivers are waiting for children to come out.
2.19pm: Resident Dieter Erasmus told ONE News the plume was up to 6000 metres high.
2.05pm: Emergency Response NZ quotes Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe as saying the eruption " is not having a significant impact on our operations at this stage".
1.55pm: Civil Defence has advised people to visit civildefence.govt.nz or follow @NZcivildefence on Twitter for Ministry of Civil Defence information on the eruption.
1.50pm: On Twitter, Lynne Pope (@elpie) wrote: " A gorgeous, sunny, blue-sky day in paradise, except, of course, where Mt Tongariro is erupting nasty grey cloudy stuff into the sky.
1.45pm: Volcanic Alert Level has changed from 1 to 2 and the Aviation Colour Code has been upgraded from Yellow to Red.
1.40pm: Robert Coup (@amatix) tweets: "Tongariro erupting. Classic bait-and-switch by NI volcanoes", in reference to Mt Ruapehu being on alert.
1.35pm: A picture from the website shows ash and smoke billowing out of Te Maari Crater , the same crater that erupted on August 6.
1.30pm: GeoNet reported Mt Tongariro has erupted.