Mount Ngauruhoe is an active stratovolcano in New Zealand. It is the youngest vent in the Tongariro volcanic complex on the Central Plateau of the North Island, and first erupted about 2,500 years ago. Although seen by most as a volcano in its own right, it is technically a secondary cone of Mount Tongariro.
The volcano lies between the active volcanoes of Mount Tongariro to the north and Mount Ruapehu to the south, to the west of the Rangipo Desert 25 kilometres to the south of the southern shore of Lake Taupo.
It erupted 45 times in the 20th century, most recently in 1977. Fumaroles exist inside the inner crater and on the rim of the eastern, outer crater.
There are several possible explanations for the mountain's name. The most plausible is Nga Uru Hoe, meaning "throwing heated stones".
In the early 2000s Mount Ngauruhoe was used as a stand-in for the fictional Mount Doom in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, achieving worldwide exposure.
Ngauruhoe is no longer showing signs of any significant unrest and the Volcanic Alert Level has been reduced to zero (typical background activity).
Since mid-2008 the number of volcanic earthquakes close to Ngauruhoe has declined to the background level. Regular measurements of volcanic gas levels and the temperature of a summit gas vent have failed to record any significant changes over the last two and a half years.
“The reduction in earthquake activity means that an eruption in the near future is unlikely without further earthquakes or other changes and the appropriate alert level is therefore zero”, said GNS Science Volcano Section Manager Gill Jolly.
A significant increase in earthquake activity in May 2006 prompted the alert level to be raised to one (signs of volcano unrest). Over the next two years GeoNet recorded an average of 5 to 30 earthquakes a day close to Ngauruhoe, though the maximum daily number was as high as 80. “Since mid-2008 the number of earthquakes has returned to a typical level of a few per week”, more.. GNS Alert Bulletin