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Subscribe to RSSAfter being dormant for more than a century, seismic activity in New Zealand kicks off a volcanic eruption large enough to delay air traffic. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Mount Tongariro volcano erupted late Monday for the first time in nearly a century, leaving New Zealand’s North Island under a huge ash cloud, national media reported.
The eruptions caught geologists by surprise, 3 News reported.
Roads were closed, flights were disrupted and nearby residents were advised to stay indoors as ash and rock spewed from the mountain, the New Zealand Herald reported. Ash was drifting east and fell about 100 miles to the east in Napier, on the coast, the Herald reported. Tongariro is about 200 miles north of Wellington.
A witness who called police late Monday reported seeing explosions at 11:50 p.m. on the northern face of the nearly 6,500-foot-tall mountain.
The eruption created “a new hole in the side of the mountain,” the witness told police, according to the Herald.
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There were no reports of injuries. No evacuations were ordered but authorities advised nearby residents to disconnect water tanks and stay indoors.
The volcanic activity could pose a threat to Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, Manawatu, Wanganui, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki, 3 News reported.
New Zealand Police via EPA
Ash covering the ground on Tuesday after Mount Tongariro erupted overnight in Turangi, New Zealand.
Truckie Tama Coker said there was a "big flash," then it began "raining sand," 3 News reported. Visibility was down to yards.
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"I could just see the yellow glare on the mountain," Coker said. "I only had visibility of about 10 to 15 feet in front of me. It was a bit scary. "It's something I'll probably never see again in my lifetime."
According to the Auckland Airport website, various flights from Napier, Palmerston North, Taupo and Rotorua were canceled. Air New Zealand says it will not fly any planes through ash.
Tongariro's active Red Crater last emitted ash in 1926, according to New Zealand's Department of Conservation. Small quakes were reported beneath the volcano last month, 3 News reported.
This article includes reporting by NBC News' Jim Gold.
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Leave a Comment:
SMAUG!!
When hand guns are banned - only volocanos will have handguns
I'm no geologist, but I've read some books and I think I know what is happening with this volcano. The dark lord, Sauron, has returned to Mordor and has reignited the fires of Mount Doom. Soon he will begin forging a new master ring!
YES! Finally someone else who understands!
I have been expecting it for years.. It was only a matter of time. This could have been prevented.
OK. How?
Looks like Sasquatch was there just before the photo was taken.
The American government has been dumping chemicals in that volcano for years in hopes that, when it erupts, the zombie apocolypse will begin. BE WARNED!
Maybe someone already mentioned this but:
2012 - 1926 = 86 years
A century is 100 years so the volcano has NOT been dormant for "more than a century" as the caption and the TV reporter read. The print version says "nearly a century".
Sloppy reporting - shocking!
Well they say the world is ending on 12/21/12 ..
That would be a nice early Christmas present for us all. LOL
That would be nice. I wouldn't have to pay overnight shipping charges on gifts.
New Zealand is a beautiful, peaceful nation. Hope this eruption doesn't last long, or parts of North Island will become a no mans land covered with ash and/or lava.
Obummer's tectonic shift to the left caused the eruption-it's all his fault.
Watch for a tectonic shift to the right Nov. 2 in the U.S.A.
NEARLY a CENTURY? WHAaaaaaa! You Can't EVEN COUNT! Now! 1897....?
Quick! Hide the Dinosaurs!
WHO WOULD YOU TRUST?
It is obvious by the blogs that, though lighthearted, many wish to slam science in favor of unfounded political opinion.
It all boils down to whom do you want to believe: 98 out of 100 scientists or 98 out of 100 politicians. Politicians are well paid to spread the views of their benefactors; scientists are not. Scientists are only too happy to police their peers if they find something wanting. Politicians won’t say S#$%, even when they have a mouthful, especially if it is against someone in their own party.
We constantly hear politicians slamming scientific opinions. We rarely hear scientists disputing political opinions?
Our mass media reports scientific opinion but it is never without following it with a heavy dose of political opinion sufficient to nullify the science. Most listeners are left not knowing what to believe which is the goal of politicians who now can then advertise their propaganda for gain. This will assure that anything that should be done will be too little and too late. ZEEK
Why is no one else worried about the hobbits? People get on task! The shire is in New Zealand!
I'm from New Zealand. I have to admit I was a little shocked when I found out about Mount Tongariro's escalating seismic activity. And the volcano erupting after laying dormant for over a century. Geology's not really my expertise. I'm a physics student. So I wasn't really keeping up with all this. My mum's still shaken about it. She was planning a trip nearby. Good thing she changed her mind about the location. I told my girlfriend about it on twitter because she's from U.S.A. she was like WTF?! O_o But I calmed her down, reminding her that I'm like over 200 miles north of Mount Tongariro.