Global Volcanism Program | Kaikohe-Bay of Islands

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Kaikohe-Bay of Islands.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Kaikohe-Bay of Islands.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Kaikohe-Bay of Islands.

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

241010

Pleistocene

388 m / 1,273 ft

35.3°S
173.9°E

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Cluster

Volcano Types
Volcanic field

Rock Types

Major
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Minor
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Rhyolite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

13,786
13,786
18,679
133,899

Geological Summary

The Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field, at the upper end of the Northland Peninsula, contains 30 eruptive centers consisting primarily of basaltic scoria cones, lava flows, and small shield volcanoes, along with minor rhyolitic lava flows and domes. Volcanism in the field has progressively shifted to the SE, with the younger Taheke Basalts being aligned along a NE trend at the S end of the field. The most recent eruptions produced basaltic lava flows at Tauanui around 50,000 years ago and Te Puke around 80,000 years ago (Coote et al., 2018; Smith et al., 1993). Work that suggested possible activity from Te Puke around 1,500 years ago (e.g. Kear, 1961) was not corroborated by any subsequent research. The Ngawha Springs geothermal area lies within the area of the volcanic field.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Ashcroft J, 1986. The Kerikeri Volcanics: a basalt-Pantellerite association in Northland. Roy Soc New Zeal Bull, 23: 48-63.

Cole J W, Nairn I A, 1975. New Zealand. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World and Solfatara Fields, Rome: IAVCEI, 22: 1-156.

Coote A, Shane P, Stirling C, Reid M, 2018. The origin of plagioclase phenocrysts in basalts from continental monogenetic volcanoes of the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands field, New Zealand: implications for magmatic assembly and ascent. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 173, 14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-018-1440-y

Heming R F, 1980. Patterns of Quaternary basaltic volcanism in the northern North Island, New Zealand. New Zeal J Geol Geophys, 23: 335-344.

IAVCEI, 1973-80. Post-Miocene Volcanoes of the World. IAVCEI Data Sheets, Rome: Internatl Assoc Volc Chemistry Earth's Interior.

Johnson R W, Knutson J, Taylor S R (eds), 1989. Intraplate Volcanism in Eastern Australia and New Zealand. Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ Press, 408 p.

Kear D, 1961. Appendix 1. Relative ages, structure and sequence of Kerikeri Basalts in Bay of Islands Volcanic Zone. In: Kear D, Waterhouse B C, Swindale L D, 1961, Bauxite deposits in Northland.. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Information Series 32, 58 p..

Kear D, Thompson B N, 1964. Volcanic risk in Northland. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 7: 87-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.1964.10420159

Smith I E M, Okada T, Itaya T, Black P M, 1993. Age relationships and tectonic implications of late Cenozoic basaltic volcanism in Northland, New Zealand . New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 36:385-393. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.1993.9514583

Smith I E, Day R A, Ashcroft J, 1986. Volcanic associations of Northland (Tour Guide A4). New Zeal Geol Surv Rec, 12: 5-32.

Stipp J J, Thompson B N, 1971. K/Ar ages from the volcanics of Northland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 14:2, 403-413. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.1971.10421933

Waterhouse B C, 1961. Note on Kawiti Basalt and hydrology of Kawakawa area, Northland. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 4:4. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.1961.10420124

Wellman H W, 1962. Holocene of the North Island of New Zealand: a coastal reconnaissance. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand: Geology, 1(5): 29-99.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 0 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

[ 0450 ± 250 years ] Discredited Eruption

Citations to a Te Puke eruption in this time period generally have their origins with Kear (1961), citing a personal communication from H.W. Wellman who identified volcanic "bombs" up to 2 inches long in coastal deposits at Onewhero. Based on dating of overlying and underlying deposits, Wellman put a date window of 700 CE (Loisel Pumice) to 200 CE (Leigh Pumice) on the deposit (see also Wellman, 1962). These basalts were presumed to have been from an eruption of Te Puke. Kear and Thompson (1964) restated this as an eruption at about 1,500 BP. | Cole and Nairn (1975, CAVW) listed multiple eruptions between 550 and 1,950 BP (combined in one entry) based on work by Kohn (1973) and Wellman (1962) dating pumice layers. | Smith (in Johnson et al., 1989) stated that the "most recent eruption was only about 1800-1300 years ago on the basis of radiocarbon dating of carbonised wood from beneath young basalt flows at Te Puke in the Bay of Islands (Kear & Hay, 1961)". The Kear and Hays (1961) geological map (not viewed by GVP staff) may reference the dating of pumice flows, but the nature and provenance of the overlying basaltic material is not clear considering the information in Kear (1961). Latter (1994 pers. comm.) noted that there is considerable doubt about the 1,500 BP date. | Stipp and Thompson (1971) obtained a K/Ar date of 17 ± 6 ka, but noted concerns that precluded "any real confidence in the indicated age". | A basalt lava flow sample from Te Puke was K/Ar dated by Smith et al. (1993) to 140 ± 6 ka, with a lava flow from Tauanui giving the youngest result from the volcanic field at 60 ± 50 ka. The same samples analyzed by Shane (reported in Coote et al., 2018) resulted in K/Ar dates of 83 ± 17 ka for Te Puke and 53 ± 21 ka for Tauanui.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Synonyms

Bay of Islands

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Kaikohe

Cone

282 m

35° 25' 0.00" S

173° 47' 0.00" E

Kawiti

Cone

123 m

35° 25' 0.00" S

173° 58' 0.00" E

Keri

Cone

35° 15' 0.00" S

173° 57' 0.00" E

Manginangina

Cone

35° 12' 0.00" S

173° 48' 0.00" E

Maungakawakawa

Cone

35° 21' 0.00" S

173° 51' 0.00" E

Maungaturoto

Cone

283 m

35° 23' 0.00" S

173° 53' 0.00" E

Ngahuha

Cone

183 m

35° 23' 0.00" S

173° 58' 0.00" E

Okaihau

Cone

35° 17' 0.00" S

173° 50' 0.00" E

Omapere

Cone

35° 23' 0.00" S

173° 48' 0.00" E

Otoroa

Cone

35° 5' 0.00" S

173° 52' 0.00" E

Pahangahanga

Cone

35° 19' 0.00" S

173° 54' 0.00" E

Poerua

Cone

273 m

35° 23' 0.00" S

173° 56' 0.00" E

Puketutu

Cone

101 m

35° 18' 0.00" S

173° 59' 0.00" E

Purerua

Cone

35° 8' 0.00" S

174° 0' 0.00" E

Tahoranui

Cone

35° 9' 0.00" S

173° 53' 0.00" E

Takou

Cone

35° 8' 0.00" S

173° 52' 0.00" E

Tauanui

Cone

344 m

35° 29' 42.00" S

173° 51' 31.56" E

Te Ahuahu

Cone

378 m

35° 21' 0.00" S

173° 50' 0.00" E

Te Pene

Cone

35° 4' 0.00" S

173° 54' 0.00" E

Te Puke

Cone

135 m

35° 15' 7.00" S

174° 1' 50.00" E

Te Whau

Cone

35° 9' 0.00" S

173° 53' 0.00" E

Waimate

Cone

35° 18' 0.00" S

173° 52' 0.00" E

Waimimiti

Cone

388 m

35° 23' 0.00" S

173° 50' 0.00" E

Domes

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Putahi

Dome

385 m

35° 23' 0.00" S

173° 49' 0.00" E

Thermal

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Ngawha Hot Springs

Hot Spring

35° 24' 0.00" S

173° 52' 0.00" E

Photo Gallery

This basaltic scoria cone is one of 30 Pleistocene to early-Holocene eruptive centers in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in NW-most North Island, New Zealand. The most recent eruptions produced scoria cones and lava flows near Te Puke about 1,300-1,800 years ago. The volcanic field also contains small shield volcanoes, along with small rhyolitic lava flows and domes.

Photo by Jim Cole (University of Canterbury).

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Kaikohe-Bay of Islands in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Kaikohe-Bay of Islands. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Kaikohe-Bay of Islands. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

Large Eruptions of Kaikohe-Bay of Islands

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).