CHANGES NOTED IN NGAURUHOE

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25738, 25 February 1949, Page 6

CHANGES NOTED IN NGAURUHOE

RAPID SURVEY OF VOLCANO GEOLOGIST REPORTS NEW VENT (P.A.) WANGANUI, February 24. Considerable changes in the crater of Mount Ngauruhoe, involving the partial filling of the only previous vent, and the opening of a new one, have been discovered by Mr L. R. Allen, of the New Zealand Geological Survey. Mr Allen said to-day that he haa made a quick circuit of the lip of the crater, and had descended “as quickly as possible, because I didn’t know, when she was going up again.” Previously the only vent in the volcano was in the southern sector of the crater, and whereas this was surrounded by sheer 100-foot walls, it is now possible to descend a gentle rubble slope of about 30 feet to the vent itself, which has a surface of hard scum. Mr Allen said he believed that only ash and steam had come from this vent in the recent activity. There was probably lava in the vent, he addeef but none had been ejected. The most interesting discovery of his quick inspection had been the development of a new vent in the small north-west sector of the crater. Like the other, this vent now carried a solid scum, but it was from there that all the lava had been ejected. The entire crater was now ringed with ash and hot boulders, most of which had been hurled out several times, only to fall back into the vent. Mr Allen suggested that this regurgitation had occurred because the vent pointed directly upwards. The total quantity of matter thrown out from the depths of the volcano had probably been relatively small. Descending by way of a lava stream on the nortn-west face, Mr Allen inspected several very small vents in the stream, from which lava had trickled. Everything, indicated that they were directly connected with the new major vent. For the last two days, the mountain, according to Mr Allen, “has been turning on only a-mediocre show.”