Reporoa Caldera

About

The Reporoa Caldera is a 10 by 15 km (6.2 by 9.3 mi) caldera in New Zealand's Taupō Volcanic Zone located in the Taupō-Reporoa Basin. It formed some 280,000 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. In April 2005, a large hydrothermal explosion occurred near a cow paddock within the Taupō-Reporoa Basin, destroying some trees, temporarily blocking a nearby stream and creating a 50 m (160 ft) crater at 38°32′02″S 176°10′19″E. A similar explosion happened in the area in 1948, and smaller explosions have happened in the years between. At the time of the last eruption, it was believed to be within the caldera, but these recent eruptions are not technically within the now known area of the caldera.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.