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Taranaki

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Volcanic Region
  • Landform | Volc Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  • 39.3°S
  • 174.07°E

  • 2,518 m
    8,261 ft

  • 241030
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Taranaki.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Taranaki.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Taranaki.

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.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 42 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

[ 1854 ] Uncertain Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption
1854 - Unknown Evidence from Observations: Reported

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Lava dome
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1800 (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1800 (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1755 (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Tahurangi Ash
1755 (?) - Unknown Evidence from Sidereal: Dendrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Tahurangi Ash

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash

1700 ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1700 ± 50 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1655 (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 4

Episode 1 | Eruption Burrell Lapilli
1655 (?) - Unknown Evidence from Sidereal: Dendrochronology

List of 9 Events for Episode 1 at Burrell Lapilli

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Directed Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lava dome
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice
   - - - -    - - - - Property Damage
1655
(?)
   - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

1590 ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1590 ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1570 ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1570 ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1560 ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1560 ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1550 ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1550 ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1500 ± 30 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Newall Ash
1500 ± 30 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 7 Events for Episode 1 at Newall Ash

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Directed Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lava dome
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Property Damage

1480 ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1480 ± 50 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash

1400 ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1400 ± 50 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow

1340 ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1340 ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1300 ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1300 ± 50 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1070 ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1070 ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

0970 ± 30 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
0970 ± 30 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

0820 ± 30 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
0820 ± 30 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

0550 (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Kaupokonui tephra
0550 (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Kaupokonui tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice

0520 ± 150 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
0520 ± 150 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 4 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Directed Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Ash

0390 ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
0390 ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

0150 (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 3 (?)

Episode 1 | Eruption
0150 (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 8 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lava dome
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Scoria
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice
0150
(?)
   - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

0100 ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
0100 ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

0040 BCE ± 75 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Maketawa Tephra
0040 BCE ± 75 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 6 Events for Episode 1 at Maketawa Tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lava dome
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Blocks
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice

0150 BCE ± 30 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
0150 BCE ± 30 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

0420 BCE ± 30 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
0420 BCE ± 30 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

0590 BCE ± 500 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
0590 BCE ± 500 years - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash

1130 BCE ± 200 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Fanthams Peak, Manganui Tephra
1130 BCE ± 200 years - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at Fanthams Peak, Manganui Tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Scoria

1190 BCE ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1190 BCE ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1250 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Southern Beehive
1250 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 1 Events for Episode 1 at Southern Beehive

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Lava dome

1560 BCE ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
1560 BCE ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

1700 BCE ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 5

Episode 1 | Eruption Inglewood Tephra
1700 BCE ± 100 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 6 Events for Episode 1 at Inglewood Tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Blocks
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice
1700 BCE ± 100 years    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

2150 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Korito Tephra
2150 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at Korito Tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice

2400 BCE ± 40 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
2400 BCE ± 40 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

2450 BCE ± 300 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Mangatoki Tephra
2450 BCE ± 300 years - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Mangatoki Tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli

2700 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Tariki tephra
2700 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at Tariki tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice

2850 BCE ± 300 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
2850 BCE ± 300 years - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

3250 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Waipuku tephra
3250 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Waipuku tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice

5120 BCE ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
5120 BCE ± 50 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

6050 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
6050 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 5 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Pyroclastic flow
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Blocks

7000 BCE ± 100 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Kaponga-f tephra
7000 BCE ± 100 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at Kaponga-f tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Ash
   - - - -    - - - - Lapilli
   - - - -    - - - - Pumice

7270 BCE ± 50 years Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption
7270 BCE ± 50 years - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

7330 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Kaponga-e tephra
7330 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Kaponga-e tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra

7650 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Kaponga-b tephra
7650 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Kaponga-b tephra

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Taranaki.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Taranaki.

Photo Gallery

Taranaki volcano dominates the W coast of New Zealand's North Island. The stratovolcano, seen here from the S, is surrounded by a ring plain of debris avalanche and lahar deposits produced by repetitive collapse of the volcanic edifice. It has been active throughout the Holocene. The latest eruption of Taranaki took place in 1854 CE.

Photo by Jim Cole (University of Canterbury).
Taranaki volcano (previously called Egmont) has a breached summit crater that is occupied by a partially-destroyed lava plug. This view from the SE shows the stacked lava flows that form much of the cone, with the vegetated slopes of the parasitic cone, Fanthams Peak, at the left.

Photo by Chris Newhall, 1986(U.S. Geological Survey).
Grass-covered conical hills dot the plains around Mount Taranaki on New Zealand's North Island. Small hills such as these, often located in lowland areas well beyond the flanks of a volcano, were once thought to be scoria cones or small secondary vents produced by explosions when a lava flow passed over a body of water. They are now recognized to be hummocks of massive debris avalanches produced by volcanic landslides or flank collapse. Debris avalanche deposits originating from repetitive collapse surround the volcano to distances of about 40 km.

Photo by Don Swanson, 1984 (U.S. Geological Survey).
The pasture-covered, hilly terrain in the foreground is part of a vast ring plain of debris avalanche and lahar deposits surrounding Mount Taranaki. Repetitive collapse of the volcano during the late Pleistocene and Holocene produced debris avalanches that reached the W coast, nearly 40 km away.

Photo by Dan Miller (U.S. Geological Survey).
An aerial view from the south shows Taranaki, with its parasitic cone Fanthams Peak at the bottom right. The summit contains a partially destroyed lava dome and four other lava domes are located low on the S and N flanks. Taranaki collapsed and rebuilt itself repetitively during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Photo by Jim Cole, 1971 (University of Canterbury).
Taranaki, seen here from the SW, rises above the Taranaki ring plain, with Fanthams Peak on the left. It is the youngest and SE-most of a group of volcanoes beginning with the Kaitoke Range, near the W coast of North Island. Its most recent activity, during the 15th to 19th centuries, included the eruption of ash plumes, pyroclastic flows that traveled to the NW, and emplacement of the summit lava dome.

Photo by Chris Newhall, 1986 (U.S. Geological Survey).
Mount Taranaki is the centerpiece of Egmont National Park on the W side of the North Island of New Zealand. Farmlands surrounding the volcano extend to the boundaries of the national park, leaving a circular pattern prominent from space. The Pleistocene Kaitoke Range forms the topographic high to the WNW.

NASA Space Shuttle image STS110-726-6, 2002 (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/).
GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

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

External Sites