At 12.40 p.m. on 13 November 1896, Te Maari, a crater at the northern end of the Tongariro range, erupted spectacularly. It continued to erupt sporadically for nearly a year.
An eruption in 1868 had formed the crater, which was named for a Māori woman of high rank who died around that time. This crater may have first erupted in November 1892, when it reportedly ejected water, sand, small stones and pumice. There was activity in other outlets in the Tongariro range, including Ngāuruhoe, Tongariro’s main active vent.
Te Maari’s first 1896 eruption turned the small steam vent into a large crater 100 m long and 150 m wide. It lasted for about 40 minutes, emitting steam and smoke to a great height. Fine weather allowed onlookers to see the plume from some distance away. A south-westerly wind carried a cloud of red ash towards Ātiamuri, north of Taupō.
A party on the slopes of Tongariro made a hasty retreat. The residents of Otukou, a Māori settlement immediately beneath the crater, also evacuated the area.
About Mount Tongariro
Tongariro is a complex of multiple volcanic cones constructed over a period of 275,000 years. The active vents include Te Māri, Emerald Lakes, North Crater and Red Crater. There have been five reported eruptions from the Te Māri craters between 1855 and 1897 but they have been dormant until 2012.
Most Recent Eruption
Tongariro erupted twice in 2012 (6 August and 21 November) at Te Māri.
Previous Eruption
When1869, 1892, 1896 and 1897WhereTe MāriEffectsIn 1869 a large eruption (accompanied by an earthquake) formed the upper Te Māri Crater during an explosive eruption. Māori descriptions talk of “bright red flame through the smoke that would burst and fall like snow”. In November 1892 Te Māri again belched forth an immense quantity of steam, mud and boulders; the ejected material rose 2,000 – 3,000 feet (600 – 900 m) before rushing down the mountain side. The last eruption began in November 1896 and activity lasted until October 1897.
Credit for information to Te Awa and GeoNet.
NZ Survivor Limited
New Zealand’s Choice for Workplace
Civil Defence and First Aid Equipment.
