Lake Taupo
Encyclopedia
Lake Taupo is a lake
situated in the North Island
of New Zealand
. With a surface area of 616 square kilometres (237.8 sq mi), it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand
, and the second largest freshwater lake
by surface area in geopolitical Oceania
after Lake Murray (Papua New Guinea).
Lake Taupo has a perimeter
of approximately 193 kilometres, a deepest point of 186 metres. It is drained by the Waikato River
(New Zealand's longest river), while its main tributaries are the Waitahanui River
, the Tongariro River
, and the Tauranga Taupo River
. It is a noted trout
fishery with stocks of introduced brown trout
and rainbow trout
.
Lake Taupo lies in a caldera
created by a supervolcanic
eruption which occurred approximately 26,500 years ago. According to geological records, the volcano
has erupted 28 times in the last 27,000 years. It has ejected mostly rhyolitic
lava
, although Mount Tauhara
formed from dacitic
lava.
The initial event 26,500 years ago is the largest eruption and is known as the Oruanui eruption
. It ejected an estimated 1170 cubic kilometres of material and caused several hundred square kilometres of surrounding land to collapse and form the caldera. The caldera later filled with water, eventually overflowing to cause a huge outwash flood. It is possible that the Lake Taupo event contributed to starting the Last Glacial Maximum
.
Several later eruptions occurred over the millennia before the most recent major eruption, which occurred in 180 CE. Known as the Hatepe eruption
, it is believed to have ejected 100 cubic kilometres of material, of which 30 cubic kilometres was ejected in the space of a few minutes. This was one of the most violent eruptions in the last 5000 years (alongside the Tianchi eruption of Baekdu
at around 1000 and the 1815 eruption of Tambora
), with a Volcanic Explosivity Index
rating of 7. The eruption column was twice as high as the eruption column from Mount St. Helens
in 1980, and the ash turned the sky red over Rome
and China
. The eruption devastated much of the North Island and further expanded the lake. The area was uninhabited by humans at the time of the eruption, since New Zealand was not settled by the Māori until about 1280. Taupo's last known eruption occurred around 210 CE
, with lava dome extrusion forming the Horomatangi Reefs, but that eruption was much smaller than the 180 CE eruption.
The 180 eruption was one of the largest in recorded history. The skies and sunsets formed from this eruption were noted by Roman and Chinese observers. Any possible climatic effects of the eruption would have been concentrated on the southern hemisphere due to the southerly position of Lake Taupo.
Underwater hydrothermal activity continues near the Horomatangi vent, and nearby geothermal fields with associated hot springs are found north and south of the lake, for example at Rotokawa and Turangi. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile
micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.
The volcano is currently considered to be dormant rather than extinct.
ferns being Blechnum filiforme
, Asplenium flaccidum
, Doodia media
, Hymenophyllum demissum
, Microsorum pustulatum
and Microsorum scandens
, and some prominent associate shrubs being Olearia ranii nd Alseuosmia quercifolia.
Native faunal species in the lake include northern koura or crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons) and kokopu
or whitebait
(Galaxias
species). The lake is noted for stocks of brown trout
(Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss), introduced from Europe
and California
respectively in the late nineteenth century. There has also been a subsequent introduction of smelt (Retropinnidae
species) as a food for the trout.
A community of sponges and associated invertebrates live around the underwater geothermal vents.
Tourism is a major component of Taupo's commercial sector, and the city attracts over 1.2 million visitors per year. The busiest time for the industry is the high summer season around Christmas and New Year.
The lake area has a temperate climate. Daily maximum temperatures recorded for Taupo range from an average of 23.3°C in January and February to 11.2°C in July, while the nighttime minimum temperatures range from 11.6°C in February down to 2.2°C in July. Rain falls in all seasons but is greatest in winter and spring, from June to December.
Taupo hosts the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge
, a cycling tour around the lake which can take anywhere between four and ten hours. Hundreds of volunteers from the Taupo
township are involved in the event. Skydiving is a popular local sport and tourist attraction.
. The 10-metre-high carving is intended to protect Lake Taupo from volcanic activities underneath. The cliff has become a popular tourist destination with hundreds of boats and yatchs visiting the spot daily.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
situated in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. With a surface area of 616 square kilometres (237.8 sq mi), it is the largest lake by surface area in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and the second largest freshwater lake
Freshwater Lake
Freshwater Lake is a lake of Victoria County, in north-eastern Nova Scotia, Canada.-References:*...
by surface area in geopolitical Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
after Lake Murray (Papua New Guinea).
Lake Taupo has a perimeter
Perimeter
A perimeter is a path that surrounds an area. The word comes from the Greek peri and meter . The term may be used either for the path or its length - it can be thought of as the length of the outline of a shape. The perimeter of a circular area is called circumference.- Practical uses :Calculating...
of approximately 193 kilometres, a deepest point of 186 metres. It is drained by the Waikato River
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
(New Zealand's longest river), while its main tributaries are the Waitahanui River
Waitahanui River
The Waitahanui River is a river in the North Island of New Zealand.-Location:The Waitahanui River is one of the three main rivers that flow into Lake Taupo...
, the Tongariro River
Tongariro River
The Tongariro River is a river in the North Island of New Zealand. It originates in the Central Plateau of the North Island where it is fed by numerous Tributaries that flow off the surrounding hill ranges and mountains such as Mount Ruapehu...
, and the Tauranga Taupo River
Tauranga Taupo River
The Tauranga Taupo River is a river of the Hawke's Bay and Waikato Regions of New Zealand's North Island. It flows northwest from its sources at the nortehrn end of the Kaimanawa Range to reach the eastern shore of Lake Taupo close to the settlement of Rangiita, 12 kilometres northeast of Turangi....
. It is a noted trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
fishery with stocks of introduced brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
.
Lake formation and volcanism
Lake Taupo lies in a caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
created by a supervolcanic
Supervolcano
A supervolcano is a volcano capable of producing a volcanic eruption with an ejecta volume greater than 1,000 cubic kilometers . This is thousands of times larger than most historic volcanic eruptions. Supervolcanoes can occur when magma in the Earth rises into the crust from a hotspot but is...
eruption which occurred approximately 26,500 years ago. According to geological records, the volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
has erupted 28 times in the last 27,000 years. It has ejected mostly rhyolitic
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
, although Mount Tauhara
Mount Tauhara
Mount Tauhara is a dormant stratovolcano, reaching 3,569 feet above sea level, situated within the Taupō caldera towards the centre of the Taupō Volcanic Zone, which stretches from White Island in the north, to Mount Ruapehu in the south, to Mount Taranaki in the west....
formed from dacitic
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
lava.
The initial event 26,500 years ago is the largest eruption and is known as the Oruanui eruption
Oruanui eruption
The Oruanui eruption of New Zealand's Taupo Volcano was the world's largest known eruption in the past 70,000 years, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8...
. It ejected an estimated 1170 cubic kilometres of material and caused several hundred square kilometres of surrounding land to collapse and form the caldera. The caldera later filled with water, eventually overflowing to cause a huge outwash flood. It is possible that the Lake Taupo event contributed to starting the Last Glacial Maximum
Last Glacial Maximum
The Last Glacial Maximum refers to a period in the Earth's climate history when ice sheets were at their maximum extension, between 26,500 and 19,000–20,000 years ago, marking the peak of the last glacial period. During this time, vast ice sheets covered much of North America, northern Europe and...
.
Several later eruptions occurred over the millennia before the most recent major eruption, which occurred in 180 CE. Known as the Hatepe eruption
Hatepe eruption
The Hatepe eruption around the year 180 CE was Lake Taupo's most recent major eruption, and New Zealand's largest eruption during the last 20,000 years. It ejected some of material , of which was ejected in the space of a few minutes...
, it is believed to have ejected 100 cubic kilometres of material, of which 30 cubic kilometres was ejected in the space of a few minutes. This was one of the most violent eruptions in the last 5000 years (alongside the Tianchi eruption of Baekdu
Baekdu Mountain
Baekdu Mountain, also known in China as Changbai Mountain and Baitou Mountain , is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China, located at...
at around 1000 and the 1815 eruption of Tambora
Mount Tambora
Mount Tambora is an active stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Sumbawa is flanked both to the north and south by oceanic crust, and Tambora was formed by the active subduction zone beneath it. This raised Mount Tambora as high as , making it...
), with a Volcanic Explosivity Index
Volcanic Explosivity Index
The Volcanic Explosivity Index was devised by Chris Newhall of the U.S. Geological Survey and Stephen Self at the University of Hawaii in 1982 to provide a relative measure of the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions....
rating of 7. The eruption column was twice as high as the eruption column from Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
in 1980, and the ash turned the sky red over Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The eruption devastated much of the North Island and further expanded the lake. The area was uninhabited by humans at the time of the eruption, since New Zealand was not settled by the Māori until about 1280. Taupo's last known eruption occurred around 210 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
, with lava dome extrusion forming the Horomatangi Reefs, but that eruption was much smaller than the 180 CE eruption.
The 180 eruption was one of the largest in recorded history. The skies and sunsets formed from this eruption were noted by Roman and Chinese observers. Any possible climatic effects of the eruption would have been concentrated on the southern hemisphere due to the southerly position of Lake Taupo.
Underwater hydrothermal activity continues near the Horomatangi vent, and nearby geothermal fields with associated hot springs are found north and south of the lake, for example at Rotokawa and Turangi. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile
Extremophile
An extremophile is an organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth. In contrast, organisms that live in more moderate environments may be termed mesophiles or neutrophiles...
micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.
The volcano is currently considered to be dormant rather than extinct.
Biota
Much of the watershed of Lake Taupo is a beech and podocarp forest with associate understoryUnderstory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
ferns being Blechnum filiforme
Blechnum filiforme
Blechnum filiforme or thread fern is an endemic New Zealand fern species in the hard fern family, Blechnaceae. The species authority is Ettingsh.Thread fern has a creeping and climbing habit...
, Asplenium flaccidum
Asplenium flaccidum
Asplenium flaccidum is a species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae. The plant common name is Drooping Spleenwort or Weeping Spleenwort, and the species name flaccidum derives from the Latin root meaning drooping. An example occurrence of A...
, Doodia media
Doodia media
Doodia media, also known as rasp fern , is a species of fern in the Blechnaceae family. The genus authority is R. Br.. Distribution of the species includes New Zealand's North Island and the upper part of the South Island...
, Hymenophyllum demissum
Hymenophyllum demissum
Hymenophyllum demissum is a species of fern in the family Hymenophyllaceae. H. demissum is found in New Zealand, with a specific example occurrence being in North Island's Hamilton Ecological District in a Nothofagus-podocarp forest in association with other fern species understory plants, Crown...
, Microsorum pustulatum
Microsorum pustulatum
Microsorum pustulatum is a species of fern within the Polypodiaceae family. This species occurs widely in New Zealand and also in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia...
and Microsorum scandens
Microsorum scandens
Microsorum scandens is a species of fern within the Polypodiaceae family. This species occurs in parts of New Zealand and Australia. An example occurrence on North Island, New Zealand is in the Hamilton Ecological District where it is associated with a number of other ferns including Blechnum...
, and some prominent associate shrubs being Olearia ranii nd Alseuosmia quercifolia.
Native faunal species in the lake include northern koura or crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons) and kokopu
Kokopu
Kokopu is a common name used for three species of fish of the genus Galaxias. They are found in the rivers, lakes and swamps of New Zealand for which they are endemic. Kokopu are galaxiids and like others members of that family lacks scales and has a thick, leathery skin covered with mucus. Kokopu...
or whitebait
Whitebait
Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between 25 and 50 millimetres long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along the coast, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught with fine meshed fishing nets...
(Galaxias
Galaxias
Galaxias is the common name for a large group of smallish, highly successful freshwater fish in the Galaxias genus and Galaxiidae family. Galaxias are restricted to the southern hemisphere, and generally only occur in temperate latitudes; only one species is known from sub-tropical habitat...
species). The lake is noted for stocks of brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
(Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
(Oncorhynchus mykiss), introduced from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
respectively in the late nineteenth century. There has also been a subsequent introduction of smelt (Retropinnidae
Retropinnidae
Retropinnidae is a family of bony fish that contains the southern hemisphere smelts and graylings. They are quite closely related to the northern smelts , which they greatly resemble, but not to the northern graylings . Species from this family are only found in southeastern Australia and New Zealand...
species) as a food for the trout.
A community of sponges and associated invertebrates live around the underwater geothermal vents.
Tourism
The lake area has a temperate climate. Daily maximum temperatures recorded for Taupo range from an average of 23.3°C in January and February to 11.2°C in July, while the nighttime minimum temperatures range from 11.6°C in February down to 2.2°C in July. Rain falls in all seasons but is greatest in winter and spring, from June to December.
Taupo hosts the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge
Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge
The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is New Zealand's largest mass participation cycling event. First held in 1977, it circumnavigates Lake Taupo, a volcanic crater lake in the centre of the North Island. The ride starts and finishes in Taupo with one full circuit being approximately 160 km. Over...
, a cycling tour around the lake which can take anywhere between four and ten hours. Hundreds of volunteers from the Taupo
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
township are involved in the event. Skydiving is a popular local sport and tourist attraction.
Māori Rock Carving
On the north west side of Lake Taupo on the cliffs of Mine Bay, there are Māori rock carvings created in the late 1970's by Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell and John Randall. Carved in likeness of Ngatoroirangi, a navigator who guided the Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa tribes to the Taupo area over a thousand years ago according to Māori legendMaori mythology
Māori mythology and Māori traditions are the two major categories into which the legends of the Māori of New Zealand may usefully be divided...
. The 10-metre-high carving is intended to protect Lake Taupo from volcanic activities underneath. The cliff has become a popular tourist destination with hundreds of boats and yatchs visiting the spot daily.
See also
- List of lakes in New Zealand
- List of volcanoes in New Zealand
- Taupo Volcanic ZoneTaupo Volcanic ZoneThe Taupo Volcanic Zone is a highly active volcanic V shaped area in the North Island of New Zealand that is spreading east -west at the rate of about 8mm per year...