VOLCANIC RESEARCH.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18229, 13 November 1924, Page 6

VOLCANIC RESEARCH.

ESTABLISHMENT OF OBSERVA-

TORY PROPOSED.

(aPJfCIAL TO "THI

DUNEDIN, November 12

The Hon. G. M. Thomson has addressed a letter to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. R. F. Bollard) urging the establishment in New Zealand of a volcanic observatory. He states that in Hawaii an observatory was established in 1911, which publishes reports monthly. In stressing the (value of an institution of this kind, he states that from the accounts of the Tarawera eruption he is ccravinced that the site and the approximate time of the eruptions could have been predicted with the knowledge tliat we new possess. Lives could have been saved, either by people leaving the district in the case of those living close to the site, or by the construction of suitable shelter cellars in the case of those living at a greater distance. Precautions might also hatve been taken in the ferm of the construction of roads leading from the danger areas to areas of safety. A severe eruption of White Island, which as far as we knew at present was always a possibility, might send a tidal wave over the lower ground of the Bay of Plenty. Here again the probabilities of such a disaster ecu id be l-.ettor estimated after an observatory had been operating for some time, and the approximate precautions indicated. Mr Thomson states that the study of New Zealand volcanoes and earthquakes w<vuld cost between £2OOO and £SOOO annually.