Whakaari monitoring update
GNS provides volcanic activity information about Whakaari to a range of organisations including MetService through their Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Maritime NZ, NEMA and Emergency Management Bay of Plenty (EMBOP). Volcano Activity Bulletins are provided on our public channels.
Updated: 3 May 2024
Monitoring New Zealand’s volcanoes is important. Eruptions can produce ash and gases which are a health concern for people, a risk for aircraft, vessels and agriculture, and can be damaging and disruptive to crops, infrastructure and property.
Currently we are unable to access Whakaari, which means we have been unable to service or replace our monitoring equipment. Our on-island monitoring equipment continued working for a while after the eruption in 2019, but in the harsh environment the network needs regular servicing. Without attention, it has deteriorated over time and the last functioning seismo-acoustic station stopped working completely in August 2022.
GNS is working alongside NEMA, Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority, to mitigate the risk of our reduced monitoring service on Whakaari/White Island and determine future monitoring requirements. In the meantime, we are planning the design and installation of a new network of seismo-acoustic monitoring stations, GPS, gas-measuring instruments, and cameras that would enable us to establish real-time, on-island monitoring, when and if that is required. For now, we are monitoring Whakaari remotely.
On-island monitoring vs remote monitoring
On-island monitoring gives us the ability to detect and confirm eruptions, substantially improve the chance of forecasting changes in activity, and provide real-time monitoring in bad weather and at night. Basically, the closer the equipment is to the volcano, the sooner we get data or can confirm that the volcano might be doing something significant.
Without on-island monitoring, our ability to detect and confirm eruptions at Whakaari is limited. At present, the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre at MetService provides most of the ability to confirm eruptions, via satellite remote sensing and rain radar data.
Our combined remote monitoring toolkit includes monitoring stations on the mainland, observation and gas flights, and remote sensing technology, like radar, gas, and thermal satellite imagery. We also receive information about Whakaari from satellite data from the German and European Space Agencies, which can provide us a view of ground deformation and gas emissions.
Remote monitoring data is valuable, albeit lesser quality information than on-island instruments can provide.
GNS has an important role (under the National Civil Defence and Emergency Management Plan 2015) to provide advice to emergency management agencies on geological hazards, including hazards relevant to volcanoes. To enable this, we operate a 24/7 monitoring centre, keeping constant watch over more than 800 instruments throughout the country that monitor our natural hazards, including volcanoes like Whakaari, and can provide up to the minute information about the current status of our volcanoes.
This update is attributed to Graham Leonard, GNS Science Principal Scientist.
For more information please contact Chris Costley, GNS Science Principal Communications Advisor, media@gns.cri.nz.
