October 5, 2006
Radio New Zealand
The Department of Conservation has issued a high risk warning for the crater basin at Mt. Ruapehu, following a possible small eruption there on Wednesday night.
A series of small earthquakes at the Crater Lake broke a cable at the lake centre, generating a call-out to a lahar response team.
DoC's community relations officer for Tongariro-Taupo, Dave Wakelin, says the warning was issued on Thursday morning, in case more volcanic activity follows.
He says a team of scientists is en route to the mountain to try to ascertain what affect the earthquakes had on the lake.
DoC says it is unclear whether there was a lahar; but if there was, it was a very small one. The lahar team was stood down half an hour after the call-out.
1ST REPORTED QUAKES SINCE 1995
The call-out was triggered by a series of small volcanic earthquakes - the first reported since 1995, when the Crater Lake was displaced. Previous call-outs were due to storms, an avalanche, and melting snow.
Brad Scott, from the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Science (GNS) at Wairakei, told Morning Report that the quakes measured about magnitude 3.
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