The Reporoa Caldera is a 10 km by 15 km caldera in New Zealand's Taupō Volcanic Zone. It formed some 1,000,000,000 years ago, in a large eruption that deposited approximately 100 km3 of tephra, forming the Kaingaroa Ignimbrite layer. The ignimbrite sheet extends up to 15 km (9.3 mi) to the east.[1] It contains three rhyolitic lava domes (Deer Hill, Kairuru and Pukekahu) and is associated with three geothermal fields. These are the active Reporoa geothermal field in the caldera, the Waiotapu geothermal area north of the caldera rim, and the Broadlands thermal area to the south. The Waikato River runs through the southern half of the caldera.
Reporoa Caldera | |
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![]() ![]() Reporoa Caldera Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 592 m (1,942 ft) |
Coordinates | 38°25′00″S 176°20′00″E |
Dimensions | |
Length | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
Width | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
Geography | |
Location | Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand |
Geology | |
Age of rock | 1,000,000,000 years ago |
Mountain type | Caldera |
Last eruption | 1180 (?), 2005 hydrothermal |
In April 2005, a large hydrothermal explosion occurred near a cow paddock within the caldera, destroying some trees, temporarily blocking a nearby stream and creating a 50-metre crater at 38°32′02″S 176°10′19″E.[2] A similar explosion happened in the area in 1948, and smaller explosions have happened in the years between.[3][2]
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