THE TAUPO REGION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 197, 19 August 1895, Page 2

THE TAUPO REGION.

The Taapo di3tricb, which eeems to havo been the centre of this severe earthquake, lies fifty miles south of Rotorua, and aa there is no report of any serious shock in the Rotorua region, it may be concluded that the volcanic region round about Lake Taupo was the locality in which the earth tremor originated. Taupo has always been Bubjecb to earthquakes, generally of a slight character, and the surrounding region ia particularly subject to seismic disturbances^ A few months ago, when Ruapehu became active and threw up large quantities of mud and ejected masses of steam, earthquake shocks were felt at Taupo. The township of Taupo, Tapuwaeharuru, where the shock seems to have been so serious as to knock chimneys down, and to alarm the residents, is on an elevated plateau of pumice, at the bead of the north of Lake Taupo, close to the outleb of the Waikato River. It is the centre for through traffic from Rotorua and Waikato on bhe north, to Napier on tho easb and Wanganui on the west. Gallagher's large hotel, near the Lake, is the principal building. Close to the township there are numerous hot springs, and many displays of thermal oaergy. Tha Lake is about 30 miles long, the villages of T*fcaas« and Wahi standing on its southern shores. Some miles South of Taupo stand the great snowcovered volcanic mountains, Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, which wa intermittently very active. Ifc is possibly some disturbance at t&ese volcanic vents which has caused the earthquake. Tha earthquake seems to havo travelled southward and eastward from Taupo, judging by the reports from Wellington and the Basil Coast, The volcanic system of the North Island of New Zealand seems to radiate j from the central elevated plateau which ■ cnlminateß in the peaks of Tongariro, Ngauruboe and Ruapehu. Nearly all the volcanic rocks which cover so large a part of the surface of the country j seen to have originated from vents or fissures radiating from the central elevation, in a direction between norbh-easb and northwest. There are numerous fumaroles and steam holea which serve as " safety valvea' close to Taupo, and it has been noticed fchah these two have been unusually active just) after an earthquake. Ib would appear thrt the earth tremor did nob extend westward of Taupo, as no reports have come to hand of shocks on the Taranaki side.