VOLCANOLOGY IN NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3455, 1 June 1920, Page 5

VOLCANOLOGY IN NEW ZEALAND.

(Fkoai Oub Own Coheespondent.) WELLINGTON, May 25.

The importance of appointing a volcanist for New Zealand is strongly advocated by Dr Jaggard, of Volcano House, Hawaii, who is world-famous for his reseaxcb.es. This interesting science is almost in, its infancy ; yet, with the facts now known, the disaster at Martinique, when St. Pierre, with its population of' some 30,000, was blotted out with a blast from the volcano of Montpele, could have been obviated. Of the whole population only two people were found alive, and one of these —a woman — died from her burns. The man who lived was in a prison, though he also was badly burned with the hot ashes that found their way into his cell through a ventilator. In Japan, through their better knowledge of volcanology, the whole population of a city of many thousands of pooiile were conveyed to a place of safety before a volcanic eruption on a grand scale occurred. But for the premonitory symptoms recognised by the Japanese, who have made a close study of the science, there would have, been terrible loss of life. As it was, only some SO people lost their lives. _ Some day in New Zealand a similar eruption may occur. We have had one such eruption in this country within recent years. Fortunately, it was a sparsely-populated district; but there is no saying- when such another eruption may occur at, say, Rotorua, or even in the vicinity of Auckland itself, where there are numerous old craters and the extinct volcano of Rangitoto. Such volcanoes have a habit of breaking out after lengthy periods of quiescence. Apart from the scientific aspect of the question, the safety of the people demands that we shall give some attention to volcanology in the active belt that lies across the North Island and stretches northwards into the Pacific Ocean. Dr Jaggard is strongly of opinion that something should bo done, and the sooner " the better. A start could be made in quite a small way in the vicinity of the active volcano of Ngauruhoe, or, still better, in the Waimangu region, which is more accessible and equally interesting in its activity. The man required for the job is a physicist. The study of geophysics is a fascinating one, and perhaps in one of our universities some yo ing man could l be found who would make it his life work. Dr Jaggard would, I am sure, give every possible assistance.