Volcano in New Zealand
Okataina volcano: eruption status today
Updated
No eruption of Okataina is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later; last significant eruption 2015 (NOAA NCEI).
Live status of Okataina: whether it is erupting now, satellite hot spots, earthquakes around it, and what an eruption would mean for nearby cities and flights.
- Status now
- No open report
- Last eruption
- 1964 or later last significant: 2015
- Elevation
- 1,111 m 3,645 ft
- Type
- Lava dome
- Earthquakes within 50 km
- 0 past 30 days (USGS)
- Hot spots within 10 km
- 0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
- Nearest city
- Rotorua 23 km W
Is Okataina erupting right now?
There is no open NASA EONET event for Okataina right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1964 or later, and the last eruption in its significant-eruption database was in 2015. Volcano observatories can raise alert levels before an eruption starts, so check the national observatory for the current alert level.
No satellite thermal hot spot was detected within 10 km of the summit in the latest NASA FIRMS data, so there is no sign of lava at the surface large enough for VIIRS to see (clouds can hide it).
Earthquakes near Okataina
USGS has no earthquake within 50 km of Okataina in the past 30 days. Outside the United States USGS mainly lists quakes above about M4, so small volcanic tremors recorded by the local observatory will not appear here.
About Okataina
Okataina is a lava dome in New Zealand, rising to 1,111 m (3,645 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".
Lava domes grow from thick, sticky lava; collapsing domes can send fast pyroclastic flows down the slopes.
The nearest large town is Rotorua, about 23 km W of the summit; 5 other cities lie within 250 km.
- Rotorua (23 km) earthquakes nearby
- Tauranga (60 km) earthquakes nearby
- Hamilton, Waikato Region (115 km) earthquakes nearby
- Gisborne (142 km) earthquakes nearby
- Napier (153 km)
- Hastings, Hawke's Bay Region (167 km)
Flights and volcanic ash
2 major airports are within 400 km; the closest is Auckland (AKL), 198 km away. Volcanic ash melts in jet engines, so an explosive eruption can close airspace and cancel flights even far downwind.
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) issue the official ash advisories that airlines and air traffic control follow.
| Airport | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland (AKL) | 198 km | NW |
| Wellington (WLG) | 381 km | SSW |
Other volcanoes in New Zealand
New Zealand has 10 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now. The closest other one is Taupo, 88 km away.
Nearby volcanoes
Volcanoes in New Zealand
More
Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.