New camera keeping an eye on Whakaari/White Island
Followers of our GeoNet volcano cameras will have noticed a new camera recently installed at Te Kaha, in the Bay of Plenty. This camera looks west, giving another view toward Whakaari/ White Island.
The 10-minute images can be viewed on the GeoNet website.
As we have no working sensors on the Island, we continue to rely on remote cameras and satellite imagery, complemented with gas and observation flights to assess the level of activity on the island. The new camera was installed to give our Volcano Monitoring Group and 24/7 geohazard monitoring centre more information, enabling them to better assess volcanic activity.
Like the other volcano cameras, the Te Kaha camera has both daylight and low light capability, allowing images to be captured at night when there is enough ambient light (such as from a full moon). If we need to see images during unrest or an eruption, we can download additional (1 second) images stored on the cameras, which are not routinely transmitted.
We also took the opportunity to update the names of the webcams on our website, so users can tell which direction the camera is facing and what volcano they are viewing.
For advice on what to do in the case of a volcanic event in the Bay of Plenty, head to the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence(external link) website for specific local advice.