Major Volcanoes of Oceania

Oceania is home to a wide variety of significant volcanoes, each with unique and fascinating characteristics. The area offers a volcanic environment that captivates with its beauty and geological significance, ranging from the imposing dormant stratovolcano Mount Taranaki in New Zealand to the volcanic cone Mount Ngauruhoe within the Tongariro complex and the Garbuna Group of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea.

Let's look at some of the notable volcanoes that have shaped Oceania.

Features of Major Volcanoes of Oceania

Here the descriptions of major volcanoes of Oceania −

Mount Taranaki

The Mori language is where Taranaki gets its name. The mountain has the name of Rua Taranaki, the first progenitor of the Taranaki iwi, one of many iwis in the area. Tara, a Mori word for mountain top, and naki, which means "clear of vegetation," may have shared a common ancestor. On the west coast of New Zealand's North Island, in the Taranaki region, is a dormant stratovolcano known in Maori as Taranaki Maunga. It is the second-highest mountain in the North Island after Mount Ruapehu at 2,518 meters. Fanthams Peak, a secondary cone with a height of 1,966 meters, is located on its southern flank.

Mount Ngauruhoe

According to the indigenous Mori legends, Ngtoro-i-rangi, an ancestor of the Mori iwi Ngti Twharetoa, named the volcano. Ngtoro-i-rangi spoke to the volcanic fire that eventually manifested at Ngauruhoe as coming from his native Hawaiki. New Zealand's Mount Ngauruhoe is a volcanic cone. It first erupted around 2,500 years ago and is the youngest vent in the Tongariro stratovolcano complex on the Central Plateau of the North Island.

Geologically speaking, it is a subsidiary cone of Mount Tongariro, despite frequently being thought of as a separate mountain. The volcano is located 25 km south of Lake Taupo's southern shore, west of the Rangipo Desert, and between the active volcanoes Mount Tongariro and Mount Ruapehu.

North Head

North Head is sometimes referred to as Maungauika, Maungauika, or North Head/Maungauika. In the Devonport neighbourhood of Auckland, New Zealand, it is a volcano and Tpuna Maunga (ancestral mountain) that together form a promontory at the eastern end of Waitemat Harbour. Since 1885, the head has been primarily utilized by the military as a coastal defence post.

This use has left a network of accessible old bunkers and tunnels as its legacy, which serves as part of the attraction. It is known for its expansive views of the harbour and the Hauraki Gulf. The area was designated a Category I historic place in 2001 and protected as a part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park in 1972.

The Garbuna Group of volcanoes

Three volcanic peaks—Krummel, Garbuna, and Welcker—atop a shield volcano make up the Garbuna Group of volcanoes. They are situated in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, near the town of Kimbe, at the southern tip of the Willaumez Peninsula. One of Papua New Guinea's largest thermal fields is located in Garbuna. The Garbuna volcano was thought to be extinct or perhaps dormant until recently.

However, the Garbuna volcano unexpectedly erupted on October 17, 2005. In November 2005, eruptions persisted but became less severe. By January 2006, the major activity was confined to the new vents' release of large amounts of white vapour.

Mount Giluwe

Around 650,000–800,000 years ago, Mount Giluwe's original volcano on the site formed, most likely as a stratovolcano with a similar height to the current summit. With a height of 4,367 meters, Mount Giluwe is the second-highest mountain in Papua New Guinea and the fifth-highest peak on the entire island of New Guinea. Mount Wilhelm is the highest.

It is a large shield volcano with extensive alpine grasslands that is situated in the Southern Highlands province. Its two summits are made up of two ancient volcanic plugs; the east peak is located about 2 kilometres away and is 4,300 meters high. The centre peak is the highest. One of the Volcanic Seven Summits, Giluwe holds the distinction of being the highest volcano in both Oceania and Australia.

Tavurvur Volcano

According to the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory, the volcano's name should be pronounced tah-VOOR-voor. On the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea, Tavurvur, an active stratovolcano, is situated close to Rabaul. On the eastern rim of the larger feature, it is a sub-vent of the Rabaul caldera. In 1994, the nearby town of Rabaul was largely damaged by the volcano's eruption. The most recent eruption of Mount Tavurvur, the most active volcano in the Rabaul caldera, occurred on August 29, 2014.

The Bola volcano

An andesitic stratovolcano, the Bola volcano, also referred to as Wangore, is situated southwest of the Dakataua caldera. It has a peak crater that is 400 meters broad and is 1,116 meters wide. The summit crater was the source of the most recent lava flow, which moved west. This heavy viscous flow, which is at least 50 m thick, causes an irregularity in the volcano's profile. Weak fumarolic activity and the absence of a summit crater suggest that the most recent eruption may have occurred only a few hundred years ago.

Mount Lamington

The mountain has the name of Queensland's former governor, Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington. Papua New Guinea's Oro Province is home to the andesitic stratovolcano known as Mount Lamington. The volcano's forested top wasn't known to be one until its catastrophic eruption in 1951, which claimed around 3,000 lives. To the north of the Owen Stanley Range, the volcano rises to a height of 1680 meters above the coastal plain.

Mount Bosavi

In Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands province, there is a mountain named Mount Bosavi. It is an extinct volcano's collapsed cone in the Great Papuan Plateau, which is a section of the Kikori River basin. The crater measures around 4 km in width and 1 km in depth. The 2006-established Sulamesi Wildlife Management Area includes a portion of the mountain. It is included in the Kikori River Basin/Great Papuan Plateau, which is being considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The inhabitants of the area to the north of the mountain call themselves Bosavi kalu (people of Bosavi).

Ball's Pyramid

Located 20 miles southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean, Ball's Pyramid is an uninhabited islet. The eroded plug of a shield volcano and caldera that occurred 6.4 million years ago is the steep rocky outcrop of basalt. It is the tallest volcanic stack in the world, standing 572 meters high, 1,100 meters long, and just 300 meters wide. Any approach to Ball's Pyramid, which is a component of Australia's Lord Howe Island Marine Park, is challenging because it is situated in the middle of a submerged shelf surrounded by choppy water.

List of Major Volcanoes of Oceania

Here's a table of major volcanoes in Oceania, including their height and location −

Volcano Name	Height (meters)	Location
Mount Taranaki	2,518	New Zealand
Mount Ngauruhoe	2,291	New Zealand
North Head	98	Australia
The Garbuna Group	1,564	Papua New Guinea
Mount Giluwe	4,367	Papua New Guinea
Tavurvur Volcano	223	Papua New Guinea
The Bola volcano	1,454	Papua New Guinea
Mount Lamington	1,680	Papua New Guinea
Mount Bosavi	2,507	Papua New Guinea
Ball's Pyramid	N/A	Australia (Lord Howe Island)

Conclusion

There are several significant volcanoes in Oceania, each with distinctive features and historical significance. While Mount Ngauruhoe, also in New Zealand, is a volcanic cone inside the Tongariro stratovolcano complex, Mount Taranaki stands tall as a dormant stratovolcano. The once-dormant Garbuna volcano, which suddenly erupted in 2005, is one of three peaks on a shield volcano that makes up the Garbuna Group of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea.

The tallest volcano in Oceania is Mount Giluwe, a sizable shield volcano that is located in Papua New Guinea. Tavurvur, the Bola volcano, Mount Lamington, Mount Bosavi, and Ball's Pyramid are a few further prominent volcanoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the tallest volcano in Oceania?

The tallest volcano in Oceania is Mount Giluwe in Papua New Guinea, standing at a height of 4,367 meters.

Are Mount Taranaki and Mount Ngauruhoe active volcanoes?

Mount Taranaki is currently dormant, while Mount Ngauruhoe is classified as a volcanic cone within the Tongariro complex and has been active in the past.

Where is Ball's Pyramid located?

Ball's Pyramid is located 20 miles southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean, which is part of Australia's Lord Howe Island Marine Park.

What caused the eruption of the Garbuna volcano in 2005?

The Garbuna volcano, previously thought to be extinct or dormant, unexpectedly erupted in October 2005. The exact cause of the eruption is not fully understood.