Tuesday, January 10, 2006
In search of volcanic history
Scientists plan to drill a hole in part of the Auckland domain, to find out more about volcanic activity in the region.
Geologists from the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences and the University of Auckland will spend the next two days drilling 30 metres under the domain's playing fields.
The co-ordinator of the project, Graham Leonard, says Auckland's volcanic field is about 250,000 years old, and the domain volcano is one of the oldest.
He says layers of ash are preserved in what used to be the volcano's crater, which contain information about the size and timing of many pre-historic eruptions.
Drill-cores from other volcanic craters around the region have already been analysed Leonard says.
Geologists from the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences and the University of Auckland will spend the next two days drilling 30 metres under the domain's playing fields.
The co-ordinator of the project, Graham Leonard, says Auckland's volcanic field is about 250,000 years old, and the domain volcano is one of the oldest.
He says layers of ash are preserved in what used to be the volcano's crater, which contain information about the size and timing of many pre-historic eruptions.
Drill-cores from other volcanic craters around the region have already been analysed Leonard says.
# posted by kevin : 5:40 PM
