Volcano Live

North Island, New Zealand

38.42 S, 176.08 E
summit elevation 1156 m
Calderas

The volcano is located between Lake Taupo and Rotorua.
Maroa caldera formed about 230,000 years ago.

Orakei Korako, Ngatamariki, Rotokaua, and Wairakei hydrothermal areas are associated with the volcano. The volcano has a history of large hydrothermal eruptions.

Maroa volcano - John Seach

Artist Palette, Orakei Korako

Ruatapu Cave, Orakei Korako

Ruatapu Cave, Orakei Korako

Ruatapu Cave
Ruatapu cave is formed beneath hydrothermally altered Quaternary vitric tuff. The cave extends is 45 m wide, and has a vertical drop of 23 m. The shallow pool is clear with sulphate-rich (~450 μg/g), warm (T = 43–48°C), acidic (pH = 3.0) water. 

Puketarata lava domes
The volcano contains about 70 rhyolite lava domes. The most recent are the Puketarata lava domes which erupted about 14,000 years ago. Puketarata dome formation was the source of a widespread pyroclastic deposit. The Puketarata domes and associated craters lie within a fault-angle depression between the
Puketarata and Whakaheke faults.

Puketarata tuff ring
Puketarata tuff ring is part of a NE-aligned, 4 km long line of five vents. The tuff ring is 1 km in diameter, and encloses a 450 m x 560 m wide, 80 m high lava dome.

2012 Earthquake
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit 16 km north of Orakei Korako geothermal area on 8th December 2012.

2001 Hydrothermal Explosion
A hydrothermal explosion occurred at the Alum Lakes area, on 30th March 2001. The explosion destroyed vegetation near the crater.

Further reading
Houghton, B.F., Lloyd, E.F., Wilson, C.J.N. and Lanphere, M.A., 1991. K‐Ar ages from the Western Dome Belt and associated rhyolitic lavas in the Maroa‐Taupo area, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand.

Wilson, C.J.N., Rogan, A.M., Smith, I.E.M., Northey, D.J., Nairn, I.A. and Houghton, B.F., 1984. Caldera volcanoes of the Taupo volcanic zone, New Zealand. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 89(B10), pp.8463-8484.