Lake Tarawera | |
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Location | Rotorua Lakes, Bay of Plenty Region, North Island |
Coordinates | 38°12′S176°27′E / 38.200°S 176.450°E |
Lake type | volcanic |
Primary inflows | Tarawera Peak Stream, Te Whekau Stream, Orchard Stream, Spencer Road Ford Stream multiple springs and subsurface |
Primary outflows | Tarawera River and subsurface |
Catchment area | 143.8 km2 (55.5 sq mi) [2] : 56 |
Basin countries | New Zealand |
Max. length | 11.4 km (7.1 mi) [3] |
Max. width | 9.0 km (5.6 mi) [3] |
Surface area | 41.0 km2 (15.8 sq mi) [3] |
Average depth | 57.0 m (187.0 ft) [3] |
Max. depth | 87.5 m (287 ft) [3] |
Surface elevation | 298 m (978 ft) [3] [2] : 55 |
References | [2] [3] |
Lake Tarawera is the largest of a series of lakes which surround the volcano Mount Tarawera in the North Island of New Zealand. Like the mountain, it lies within the Ōkataina Caldera. It is located 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the east of Rotorua, and beneath the peaks of the Tarawera massif i.e. Wahanga, Ruawahia, Tarawera and Koa. Tarawera means "Burnt Spear", named by a visiting hunter who left his bird spears in a hut and on returning the following season found that both his spears and hut had been turned to ashes. [4]
Lake Tarawera is 298 m (978 ft) above sea level, [3] [2] : 24 and has a surface area of 41 km2 (16 sq mi). To the north-west is Lake Ōkataina, to the west as you go south, lakes Ōkāreka, Tikitapu and Rotokākahi and to the south-east Lake Rotomahana. Lake Tarawera township is on the western shore, between Lake Tarawera and Lake Ōkāreka. The main road access is from Rotorua to the west.
The lake was substantially affected by the eruption of Mount Tarawera on 10 June 1886 to the lake's east. [5] [6] [7] [8] : 291–2 There were changes in lake level and sediment carriage. [8] : 491–2, 4
The lake has a large catchment. This includes Lake Tarawera's immediate catchment, being 143.8 km2 (55.5 sq mi) in area, and the catchment of the nearby higher lakes, being a total of 380.9 km2 (147.1 sq mi), with an estimated mean annual precipitation of 20,001 L/s (706.3 cu ft/s). [2] : 56
Lake Tarawera is filled primarily by water flowing through the volcanic rocks and ashes, only about 42% being from water flowing in streams, etc. [2] : 10 The mean surface inflows are estimated to be: [2] : 43
Source | Mean Water Flow | Coordinates |
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Te Puroku No. 2 (Twin Creeks) | 384 L/s (13.6 cu ft/s) | 38°13′23″S176°24′13″E / 38.22306°S 176.40361°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Wairoa Stream | 347 L/s (12.3 cu ft/s) | 38°12′29″S176°22′31″E / 38.20806°S 176.37528°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Wairua Stream | 208 L/s (7.3 cu ft/s) | 38°14′24″S176°25′28″E / 38.24000°S 176.42444°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Waterfall | 174 L/s (6.1 cu ft/s) | 38°14′21″S176°27′17″E / 38.23917°S 176.45472°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Waitangi Stream | 164 L/s (5.8 cu ft/s) | 38°10′37″S176°23′5″E / 38.17694°S 176.38472°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Te Puroku No. 1 (Twin Creeks) | 123 L/s (4.3 cu ft/s) | 38°13′23″S176°24′13″E / 38.22306°S 176.40361°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Te Toroa | 91 L/s (3.2 cu ft/s) | 38°12′15″S176°23′4″E / 38.20417°S 176.38444°E [2] : 43 |
Camp Site | 65 L/s (2.3 cu ft/s) | 38°14′3″S176°27′17″E / 38.23417°S 176.45472°E [2] : 43 |
The Landing drain 1 | 32 L/s (1.1 cu ft/s) | 38°12′24″S176°22′38″E / 38.20667°S 176.37722°E [2] : 43 |
Te Whekau Stream | 20 L/s (0.71 cu ft/s) | 38°10′1″S176°23′36″E / 38.16694°S 176.39333°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Orchard Stream | 16 L/s (0.57 cu ft/s) | 38°12′18″S176°22′38″E / 38.20500°S 176.37722°E [2] : 43 |
Ungauged sites in Kotukutuku Bay | 10 L/s (0.35 cu ft/s) | - [2] : 43 |
Ungauged sites in SE of lake | 10 L/s (0.35 cu ft/s) | - [2] : 43 |
Waitangui Spring | 4 L/s (0.14 cu ft/s) | 38°10′28″S176°23′24″E / 38.17444°S 176.39000°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Spencer Rd Ford Stream | 1.5 L/s (0.053 cu ft/s) | 38°9′52″S176°23′35″E / 38.16444°S 176.39306°E [2] : 43 [9] |
Thus surface water inflows contribute 1,649.5 L/s (58.25 cu ft/s) which is less than the 2,358 L/s (83.3 cu ft/s) rainfall on the lake surface itself and much less than either the estimated total outflow from the lake approaching 10,000 L/s (350 cu ft/s). [2] : 15, 47, 68–69 Therefore there is a fair subsurface inflow into the lake.
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An estimate has been made of total inflows both surface and subsurface from the surrounding lake catchments [2] : 68–69
The main hot water sources are in the southern section of the lake at the Wairua Stream, Hot Water Beach and Te Puha and Tarawera fumaroles. There is also a small geothermal area at Humphrey's Bay, to the south of Lake Ōkataina. [2] : 69 Water varies between 37 °C (99 °F) and 90 °C (194 °F). [9] Lake Tarawera's outflow at its north east end, has been heavily influenced by the local geology, with a mean 7 m3/s (250 cu ft/s) discharged on the surface into the Tarawera River, which flows north-east into the Bay of Plenty. [8] : 491 An estimate of subsurface outflow has been made by measuring flow below Tarawera Falls where total river flow has increased to 9.9 m3/s (350 cu ft/s). [2] : 47
Lake Tarawera has been modified by eruptions within the Ōkataina Caldera, most recently the 1314 ± 12 CE Kaharoa eruption and the 10 June 1886 eruption. [8] : 491–2 Its current outlet control is where Tapahoro lava flows created by the 5526 ± 145 BP [10] Whakatane eruption [8] : 492 run into a 14,009 ± 155 BP [10] Pokohu lava flow which the Tarawera River flows across in a 10 m (33 ft) wide channel. [8] : 492 Before the Whakatane eruption it is thought the lake had a lower level than at present. [8] : 494 Immediately after the Whakatane eruption its level increased by at least 100 m (330 ft) with gradual cutting down and Taupō Rift subsidence to a level just before the 1314 Kaharoa eruption of 17 m (56 ft) above present lake levels. [8] : 494 The 1314 eruption blocked the outlet in a temporary dam to a temporary lake height of 32 m (105 ft) above present lake levels, which was subsequently eroded with a great flood at one stage, to reach by the time of European settlement first surveys 8 m (26 ft) below present lake level. [8] : 494
The lake outlet was blocked for two decades after the 1886 eruption and the lake level increased to a maximum of 12.8 m (42 ft) above its present level. [8] : 491–2, 4 The eruption killed over 120 people, and buried the Māori village of Te Wairoa on the southwest shore of the lake. [11] [12] The last major decrease in lake level occurred in a flood of 1904 down the Tarawera River valley after the new volcanic material dam first broke on 1 November 1904. [8] : 504 The main flood surge on 3 November 1904 was assessed at a peak flow of 700 m3/s (25,000 cu ft/s). [8] : 504 After 1906 it is now known that the main change in lake level relative to reference sea level would have been due to the slow subsidence of this area of the Taupō Rift. This rate can be estimated to have been about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) in 100 years from the nearest NZ Geonet station RGTA data which has been operative since November 2007 and shows a linear trend in height decrease since then. [13] [14]
Also assumed destroyed were the nearly famed Pink and White Terraces which were located to the south of the lake and accessed via boat across the lake and the old Lake Rotomahana. [15] : 26 However, in February 2011 a team mapping the lake floor discovered what appeared to be part of the Pink Terraces. The lowest two tiers of the terraces were reportedly found in their original place at 60 metres (200 ft) deep (too deep for scuba diving without special gas gear). Subsequently, a portion of the White Terraces was reportedly rediscovered in June 2011. The announcement of the rediscovery of the White Terraces coincided with the 125th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Tarawera in 1886. It was thought that the rest of the terraces may be buried in sediment rather than having been destroyed. More recent research question these earlier findings and reports the Pink and White terrace spring sites instead lie on land (along with a lesser-known Black Terrace spring). [16] [17] [18] [19] As of 2023 no sample of any terrace has been recovered, so any claim of survival of any of the terrace formations is unproven. [20] : 34
Lake Tarawera is classified as mesotrophic, with a trophic level index of 3.0 in 2014 which was a decline. [2] : 5
The native bush has regenerated since the 1886 eruption. [21]
Lake Tarawera is home to eels and rainbow trout. During the summer it is popular for both fishing and water sports, and also camping as there a number of hot water beaches. Much of the more inaccessible lake shore is part of the Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve with hunting permits possible. [22] There are multiple popular walking trails with access to thermal features and rock paintings, often without a permit. [21]
The township on the shores of Lake Tarawera is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, and covers 4.50 km2 (1.74 sq mi). [23] It had an estimated population of 280 as of June 2023, [24] with a population density of 62 people per km2. Lake Tarawere township is part of the larger Kaingaroa-Whakarewarewa statistical area. [25]
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
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2006 | 270 | — |
2013 | 207 | −3.72% |
2018 | 267 | +5.22% |
Source: [26] |
The township had a population of 267 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 60 people (29.0%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 3 people (−1.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 132 households, comprising 132 males and 135 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female, with 30 people (11.2%) aged under 15 years, 33 (12.4%) aged 15 to 29, 126 (47.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 78 (29.2%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 91.0% European/Pākehā, 11.2% Māori, 2.2% Pacific peoples, 4.5% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 59.6% had no religion, 32.6% were Christian and 1.1% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 69 (29.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 27 (11.4%) people had no formal qualifications. 66 people (27.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 114 (48.1%) people were employed full-time, 42 (17.7%) were part-time, and 3 (1.3%) were unemployed. [26]
The Pink and White Terraces, were natural wonders of New Zealand. They were reportedly the largest silica sinter deposits on Earth. Until recently, they were lost and thought destroyed in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera, while new hydrothermal features formed to the south-west i.e. Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley.
Mount Tarawera is a volcano on the North Island of New Zealand within the older but volcanically productive Ōkataina Caldera. Located 24 kilometres southeast of Rotorua, it consists of a series of rhyolitic lava domes that were fissured down the middle by an explosive basaltic eruption in 1886. While the 1886 eruption was basaltic, study has shown there was only a small basalt component to the previous recent rhyolitic predominant eruptions. This eruption was one of New Zealand's largest historical eruptions, and killed an estimated 120 people. The fissures run for about 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast–southwest.
Christian Gottlieb Ferdinand Ritter von Hochstetter was a German-Austrian geologist.
Te Wairoa was a village close to the shore of Lake Tarawera near Rotorua, New Zealand. The village was buried by volcanic ash in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. It was later excavated and is now open as a tourist destination, the Buried Village. The nearby Wairere Falls are also a tourist destination.
Lake Rotokākahi or Green Lake, is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Tikitapu, Lake Ōkāreka, and Lake Ōkataina. All lie within the Ōkataina Caldera, along its western edge.
Lake Ōkāreka is one of four small lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera, in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi, Lake Tikitapu, and Lake Ōkataina. All lie within the Ōkataina Caldera, along its western edge.
Lake Ōkataina is the northernmost and largest of four smaller lakes lying between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The others are Lake Rotokakahi, Lake Tikitapu, and Lake Ōkareka. All lie within the Ōkataina caldera, along its western edge.
Lake Rerewhakaaitu is a small, shallow lake in northern New Zealand, located 30 kilometres to the east of Rotorua. It is immediately south of the active volcano Mount Tarawera, and the geography was substantially altered by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera.
Lake Rotomahana is an 890-hectare (2,200-acre) lake in northern New Zealand, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Rotorua. It is immediately south-west of the dormant volcano Mount Tarawera, and its geography was substantially altered by a major 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. Along with the mountain, it lies within the Ōkataina Caldera. It is the most recently formed larger natural lake in New Zealand, and the deepest in the Rotorua district.
Saturnia is a spa town in Tuscany in north-central Italy that has been inhabited since ancient times. It is a frazione of the comune of Manciano, in the province of Grosseto. Famous for the spa which gives it its name, its population is 280.
Orakei Korako is a highly active geothermal area most notable for its series of fault-stepped sinter terraces, located in a valley north of Taupō on the banks of the Waikato River in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. It is also known as "The Hidden Valley".
The Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley is the hydrothermal system created on 10 June 1886 by the volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera, on the North Island of New Zealand. It encompasses Lake Rotomahana, the site of the Pink and White Terraces, as well as the location of the Waimangu Geyser, which was active from 1900 to 1904. The area has been increasingly accessible as a tourist attraction and contains Frying Pan Lake, which is the largest hot spring in the world, and the steaming and usually pale blue Inferno Crater Lake, the largest geyser-like feature in the world although the geyser itself cannot be seen since it plays at the bottom of the lake.
The following lists events that happened during 1886 in New Zealand.
George Dobson Valentine (1852–1890) was a Scottish photographer.
The region around the city of Rotorua, in New Zealand's North Island, contains several lakes which have a total area of about 250 square kilometres. The term Rotorua lakes is ambiguous as it has been used historically for a New Zealand administrative area. From biggest to smallest, these are Lake Rotorua, Lake Tarawera, Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotomā, Lake Okataina, Lake Rotoehu, Lake Rotomahana, Lake Rerewhakaaitu, Lake Rotokākahi, Lake Okareka and Lake Tikitapu. There are also smaller lakes including: Lake Okaro, Lake Rotokawa, Lake Rotokawau and Lake Rotongata. Most of the lakes have formed due to volcanic activity and some have current geothermal activity. The region is part of the Taupō Volcanic Zone, the world's most active area of explosive silicic volcanic activity in geologically recent time.
Charles Blomfield was an English-born artist who executed paintings of New Zealand landscapes, including the Pink and White Terraces, a notable natural feature that was later destroyed in the 1886 eruption of Tarawera.
The 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera was a violent volcanic eruption that occurred in the early hours of 10 June 1886 at Mount Tarawera, near Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island. The eruption reached an estimated volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 5 and killed an estimated 120 people, making it the largest and deadliest in New Zealand during the past 500 years, a period that includes the entirety of European history in New Zealand.
Ōkataina Caldera is a volcanic caldera and its associated volcanoes located in Taupō Volcanic Zone of New Zealand's North Island. It has several actual or postulated sub calderas. The Ōkataina Caldera is just east of the smaller separate Rotorua Caldera and southwest of the much smaller Rotomā Embayment which is usually regarded as an associated volcano. It shows high rates of explosive rhyolitic volcanism although its last eruption was basaltic. The postulated Haroharo Caldera contained within it has sometimes been described in almost interchangeable terms with the Ōkataina Caldera or volcanic complex or centre and by other authors as a separate complex defined by gravitational and magnetic features.. Since 2010 other terms such as the Haroharo vent alignment, Utu Caldera, Matahina Caldera, Rotoiti Caldera and a postulated Kawerau Caldera are often used, rather than a Haroharo Caldera classification.
The Ōkāreka Embayment is a volcanic feature in Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. It most significant recent volcanic eruption was about 15,700 years ago and this deposited the widespread Rotorua tephra that reached beyond Auckland.
Lake Rotomakariri was a lake which formerly existed in the basin that is now occupied by Lake Rotomahana, in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The lake's name was in contrast to the nearby Lake Rotomahana, which prior to the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera, was a shallower warm water lake. Prior to this eruption, Lake Rotomakariri sat in a shallow basin surrounded by marshes, draining into Lake Tarawera by Awapurohe Creek and Rotomahana's outflow of Kaiwaka Stream. The eruption of Mount Tarawera initially destroyed Lake Rotomakariri and its lakeside village with the loss of 19 lives, though water entering the new crater gradually refilled Lake Rotomakariri after volcanic activity subsided. As water accumulated over the decade after the eruption, Lake Rotomakariri was absorbed by the larger Lake Rotomahana, which eventually rose to about 36–48 m (118–157 ft) above its pre-eruption level due to the previous outflow of the basin being blocked by ashfall.