Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field
Te Ahuahu, looking from Waimate North
Highest point
Geography
Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field Location in Northland Region
Geology
Last eruption	1300 to 1800 years ago

The Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field is a special area in the Northland Region of New Zealand. It's a place where volcanoes have erupted over a very long time. These eruptions started about 10 million years ago!

Even though it's been a long time, this volcanic field is not completely dead. Scientists consider it dormant, which means it's just sleeping. It could erupt again one day, but it's not expected to happen soon.

Discovering the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands Volcanic Field

This volcanic field is found in the northern part of New Zealand. Over millions of years, many volcanoes have formed here. The oldest ones, which are more than 2 million years old, have worn away.

What's left of these ancient volcanoes are flat areas called plateaus. You can see these plateaus stretching from Ōkaihau to Kerikeri. They also go north towards Whangaroa.

Recent Volcanic Activity

In the southern part of this field, there have been more recent eruptions. About 500,000 years ago, around the town of Kaikohe, 12 small volcanoes appeared. These volcanoes are called scoria cones. They are made of a bubbly, dark rock called basalt.

There is also one rhyolite dome in this area. Rhyolite is a different type of volcanic rock, often lighter in color. The most recent eruption in this field happened between 1300 and 1800 years ago.

Volcanoes in the Field

The southern part of the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field has several interesting volcanoes. Each one tells a part of the area's fiery history.

Here are some of the volcanoes found in this field:

• Kaikohe Hill
• Maungaturoto
• Pouerua
• Putahi
• Tarahi
• Tauanui
• Te Ahuahu
• Te Puke – This volcano had the most recent eruption, about 1300 to 1800 years ago.