A field guide to the volcanoes, volcanic features and dramatic landscapes of Tongariro National Park. New Zealand sits precariously on the collision zone between the continental Australian Plate and the Oceanic Pacific Plate, one of the most active tectonic settings in the world. At the apex of New Zealand's most concentrated area of geothermal activity is the Tongariro Volcanic Centre, a zone slowly widening as the Earth's crust is stretched and thinned by the relentless forces beneath. Tongariro Field Guide provides a comprehensive introduction to the Tongariro Volcanic Centre and the incredible forces that shape and mould the landscape. It tells the turbulent history of the volcanoes, explains the inherent processes at work with detailed photographs and diagrams, identifies the volcanic features found in the park - vents, peaks and flows - and shows you where to find them on the park's famous walks and tracks. Included are the post-eruption events of Ruapehu in 1995-1996, the long-predicted dam burst of the Crater Lake and safe passage of the major lahar in 2007, and the recent eruptions from Mount Tongariro, the first from this volcano in a century.
On a smaller scale, Tongariro Field Guide updates the research work of New Zealand scientists, including the study of ash layers using improved techniques to reveal previously incorrect predictions about the age of the volcanoes in the area.
Author Biography
Karen Williams is author the Tongariro Field Guide and Ruapehu Erupts. Born and raised in the Taranaki, she developed a lifelong love of skiing and mountains. Karen gained a BA at the University of Otago, followed by a Diploma in Journalism. One of her first jobs was information officer with the DSIR's Antarctic Division in Christchurch. During the summer of 1978/79 she worked as public relations officer/photographer at Scott Base, Antarctica, and she met geochemist Dr Harry Keys on Erebus volcano. Karen and Harry married in 1982 and have two sons, now in their twenties. Karen and family have lived in the active volcanic region near Tongariro National Park for more than two decades. They ski regularly on Mt Ruapehu and have skied, climbed and visited volcanoes in many parts of the world including Alaska, Japan, Indonesia, Antarctica, Hawaii and Sicily. Karen has worked as a newspaper and radio journalist and for eight years managed the Taupo Museum. She is now is a fulltime writer specialising in local history and natural history topics, ranging from ski history, world heritage, volcanoes and geothermal activity. Karen is on the executive of Project Tongariro, a voluntary conservation society working in and around Tongariro National Park. Karen has written five books about the central North Island, beginning with Volcanoes of the South Wind, in 1985, from which her latest book has evolved. The other titles are: Skiing on the Volcano, Coming Round the Mountains, Barrel Staves to Carving Skis and Ruapehu Erupts. In 2008, she co-authored a second edition of Ruapehu Erupts with husband Harry Keys, Department of Conservation volcanologist, to document the 1995-1996 eruptions of Ruapehu, the subsequent over-filling of Crater Lake, and the long-awaited lahar (volcanic mudflow) of 2007.
