Please tell me about the 1886 Mt. Tarawera eruption and its' effects
on the surrounding area i.e. pink and white terraces.
Melissa Weterman
Dear Melissa,
The Tarawera eruption was
preceded by a wave on Lake Tarawera that was about 30 cm high and probably
related to ground movement. The eruption was also preceded by earthquakes felt
in Te Wairoa and Rotorua. The first large eruption cloud (9.5 km high) was immediately preceded by
a violent earthquake. At the climax of the eruption the entire 17-km long
fissure was active. Ash and lapilli fell on a large area of the Bay of
Plenty.
The Pink and White terraces were destroyed by the huge phreatic explosions at
Rotomohana. Tephra from Rotomohana fell over a large area and buried the
villages of Te Ariki, Moura, and Te Wairoa, killing over 150 people.
Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota
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