Ruapehu Volcano

Ruapehu Volcano is an iconic volcano, which is synonymous with subduction related volcanism. This stratovolcano is the protuberant tip of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, and has produced large volumes of basaltic-andesites and andesites over the last ~200 ka. Volumetrically this geomorphically diverse volcanic structure has a massif of ~150 km3 with an extensive ring plain of 150 km3 (Leonard et al., 2020). The massif’s lithologies of plagioclase-two-pyroxene andesites are typically sourced from 5-10 kilometer depth, and contain a record of crystal growth, representative of the complex pathways and sources of convergent subduction related to volcanism, elevating Ruapehu as an archetypal model of andesitic volcanism (Gamble et al., 1999; Price et al., 2012). The presence of the Crater Lake (Te Wai-a-Moe) at the summit, the current active vent, has focused inquiry into understanding small volume (VEI 1-2) eruptive processes (Voloschina et al., 2020). The ring-plain is composed of well exposed tephra and laharic deposits that provide insights into multi-hazard, constructional processes in a tectonically active environment. The impacts of lahars (1953: 151 deaths) have also driven the development of hazard models and provided a leading experimental site for the application of simulation tools to aid hazard management (Cronin, 1999; Procter, 2010).