About Mount Ruapehu

Name of Volcano: Mount Ruapehu in the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand
Type of Volcano: Stratovolcano
Category of Volcano: Active
Number of eruptions: It began erupting at least 250,000 years ago,  major eruptions have been about 50 years apart, in 1895, 1945, 1995-1996, 2006 eruption, 2007 Lahar, 2007 eruption, 2008 warnings, 2011 warnings.
Physical & Human Landscape: It has 2 commercial ski fields, Whakapapa on the northern side and Turoa on the northern slope[ 2 Largest in New Zealand, Whakapapa the Largest and is filled with natural gillies by volcanic eruptions,] & Alphine huts are provided for trampers and climbers.These are mainly owned by private clubs.
Danger the volcano poses: It can produce lahars (mudflows) and ashfall following eruptions, which threaten people and property as well as the area’s tourist industry.
Mount Ruapehu usually erupts andesitic material which are fine-grained brown or greyish volcanic rock. Ashfall travels furthest, particularly when carried by the wind.Lahars (mudflows comprised of mainly volcanic debris) are assumed to happen as when the crater lake over flows or the crater rim collapses and the water then mixes with snow and volcanic debris from the crater and valley floor. In Addition, Lahars can travel very fast over long distances causing trouble. Since, Mount Ruapehu’s crater lake fills the volcano’s vent which is containing with a lot of acidic water. This is a potential hazard to people climbing up to the crater lake. The types of things put in place to prevent loss & damage from the volcano erupting: Volcanologists monitor a wide range of phenomena which are known to change when an eruption is imminent. The chemistry of the crater lake, particularly levels of magnesium which increase when the lake is exposed to new lava or magmatic fluid. Small earthquake swarms, and deformation of the mountain itself, which could indicate magma movement. They are also monitored using seismometer arrays, microphones, webcams and regular sampling of the crater lake and gas emissions.

What i believe should be in place in monitoring a volcano:  NIL

          1995 Mount Ruapehu Eruption:                            

  

                                    Mount Ruapehu's 1995 Eruption