New Zealand is pretty much just a giant volcano. I say that
because in total there are 345 volcano's as reported by the Smithsonian
Institution National Museum of Natural History Global Volcanism Program. There
are so many in the area because of the type of plate boundary New Zealand lies
on, which is a convergent subduction plate as I have stated in previous blog
posts. Keep in mind the majority of these volcano's are not active and are
submerged underwater, but even on the islands, there are quite a few. The
Active and potentially active volcano's are permanently monitored 24/7; using
techniques in geodesy, seismology, chemistry, and remote sensing. There are
early volcanic unrest monitor systems in place that monitor seismic activity
and early gas release. Another helpful tool used is volcanic hazard maps that
show the vulnerability of areas to lava flows, pyroclastic flows, and ash fall,
which would look something like the picture provided. On top of that, there is
a lot of community outreach and crowd sourcing to notify those in danger. Also, eruption scenarios are held for
risk assessment and preparedness.
Sources:
It seems they are prepared for volcanic activity, like they do for earthquakes..great to hear. Smart-
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