New Zealand's Mt Tongariro calms down

7 Aug 2012, 4:55 pm   -   Source: AAP

There have been no further eruptions on Mt Tongariro after a small eruption on Monday night created an ash cloud over parts of New Zealand.

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Mt Tongariro is now calmer after the first eruption in more than a century covered parts of New Zealand's central North Island in ash.

The volcano on Monday spewed ash from the Te Maari craters on the northern side of the mountain, prompting a safety warning for the central North Island.

Rocks fell within 1km of the eruption, damaging Ketetahi Hut - one of four trampers' huts on the mountain - but there have been no reports of injuries.

Three people were evacuated from Mangatepopo Hut southwest of Mt Tongariro on Tuesday morning.

Scientists believe the small-scale eruption, which had abated by Tuesday morning, was driven by steam rather than molten rock. They said it came without warning.

GNS Science volcanologist Michael Rosenberg told AAP the eruption would have lasted only a few minutes and was followed by a number of minor earthquakes.

"There'll be a few more minor quakes but for the moment it's pretty quiet," he said.

"At the moment there is just steam and gas coming through the vents where ash was coming from on Monday night."

The eruption disrupted flights over the central North Island, and aerial news footage shows a fine covering of ash downwind from the volcano.

New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) website shows the large ash cloud moving east and blowing offshore hours after the eruption.

GNS Science changed the aviation alert for Mt Tongariro to red overnight, meaning an eruption was forecast with significant emission of ash likely.

However, by midday on Tuesday this had been downgraded to orange - which means the volcano is showing heightened unrest.

A statement from the Department of Conservation said the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro Northern Circuit and all four huts on the mountain would be closed until further notice.

The Tongariro National Park remained open, including both ski fields on Mt Ruapehu, which were not affected by the eruption.

Police closed some roads in the area as a precaution but these had been reopened.

Locals were being warned to check their water supply for ash contamination.

Mt Tongariro last erupted from November 1896 until October 1897.

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