Study into Auckland eruption reveals impact to city
An Auckland eruption could force the evacuation of more than 400,000 people - but the biggest risk to life would come with a fast-rolling, bomb-like surge of hot rock and gas.
That's according to a researcher who has begun a new Earthquake Commission-funded study modelling what impacts a big blow in the city-wide Auckland Volcanic Field would have on homes and businesses.
"There's a huge amount of research on how volcanoes behave," Massey University's Dr Stuart Mead said.
"What we want to do is use that knowledge to get a more accurate understanding of the effect of an eruption in the Auckland volcanic field.
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The deadliest threat was the "surge" - a 200-600C mixture of fragmented rock and gas travelling along the ground at around 200km/h at the beginning of the eruption.
"The surge affects a smaller area than the ash fall, but inflicts a lot of damage. We compare it to a bomb blast," Mead said.
"It's vital to make sure that people are not in the surge area when an eruption happens. And we know from earlier research that most Auckland Volcanic Field eruptions have had a surge."
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"We are expecting to be able to better define surge damage zones, which could assist in both long-term and evacuation plans.
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