Reporoa Caldera | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 592 m (1,942 ft) |
Coordinates | 38°25′00″S 176°20′00″E / 38.41667°S 176.33333°E |
Dimensions | |
Length | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
Width | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
Geography | |
Location | Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand |
Geology | |
Age of rock | |
Mountain type | Caldera |
Last eruption | 1180 (?), 2005 hydrothermal |
The Reporoa Caldera is a 10 km by 15 km caldera in New Zealand's Taupō Volcanic Zone located in the Taupō-Reporoa Basin. It formed some 280,000 years ago,[1]: 197 in a large eruption that deposited approximately 100 km3 of tephra, forming the Kaingaroa Ignimbrite layer.[2] The ignimbrite sheet extends up to 15 km (9.3 mi) to the east.[3]
In April 2005, a large hydrothermal explosion occurred near a cow paddock within the Taupō-Reporoa Basin, destroying some trees, temporarily blocking a nearby stream and creating a 50-metre crater at 38°32′02″S 176°10′19″E / 38.533832°S 176.172010°E.[4] A similar explosion happened in the area in 1948, and smaller explosions have happened in the years between.[5][4] At the time of the last eruption, it was believed to be within the caldera, but these recent eruptions are not technically within the now known area of the caldera.[1]: 197