RUAPEHU VENT ENLARGED

Evening Star, Issue 25633, 6 November 1945, Page 7

RUAPEHU VENT ENLARGED

MORE INTENSIVE ACTIVITY FORECAST SMALL LIKELIHOOD OF LAVA FLOW (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 5. The crater of Mount (Ruapehu had enlarged considerably since he was last on the mountain early in September, said Mr H. E. Fyfe, held geologist on ihe staff of the Geological Survey, on his return to Wellington to-day after visiting the mountain. He said the crater now occupied almost the whole of the area formerly covered by the crater lake. “ There is some evidence that the crater is going to be enlarged on the western side,’’ Mr Fyfe said. “The debris thrown out by the vent now reaches to within 50ft of the old crater wall on the. eastern side. It looks as if we are going to have a fairly long, period of activity, even more intensive than what we are experiencing at present, i That, however, does not mean any danger. We anticipate that activity will continue as in the past, but with increasing emissions of steam and ash, and there is still little likelihood of a lava flow. The explosive bursts are likely to be more intense.”

Mr Fyfe reiterated his previous warning about visiting the mountain and said the safest time for sightseers was when cloud from the mountain was dark grey in colour and heavily laden with ash. When the cloud was light coloured, the volcano was just about to produce one of the outbursts which hurled rock fragments.