Crater lake warming

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 270, 17 January 1989, Page 1

Crater lake warming

Since last December's Ruapehu eruption the Crater Lake has warmed from its pre-eruption temperature of nine degrees Celsius to 27 degrees. Soon after the eruption the temperature was 13 degrees and the lake has since entered a phase of re-warming.. Conservation officer Don Bogie said the rise from 13 to 27 de-

grees was quite rapid considering the size of the lake. He said there had been a series of small hydrothermal eruptions, where gas was being emitted from vents at the bottom of the lake, causing the warming. He said while it was safe to view the Crater Lake from the Dome Shelter or from Paretetaitonga Saddle, he would not advise

climbers to venture near the lake edge. He said because of the fumerole activity the acidity was probably high. In general because the lake is fed from melt water the less venting and thus the lower the temperature, the less acidic the lake would be. "I wouldn't leave bare skin in the water for long," he said.